Into the Shadows
by SparklyTree3876
Summary: AU set three months after Twilight. Bella faces the ultimate betrayal when Mike brutally rapes her during a get-together while Edward and his family are away on a camping trip. She sinks into depression and has nightmares of the assault. Fate takes another turn when she learns she is pregnant.
1. Good Times

Into the Shadows  
>By SparklyTree3876<p>

Rating: PG-13/R

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: Edward/Bella, Carlisle/Esme, Jasper/Alice, Emmett/Rosalie, Jacob/Leah, Sam/Emily, and Phil/Renee

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is my very first Twilight fic. It's an AU set three months after the first book/film. I am a little nervous about writing this because I have never done this before. I wondered what would happen if Mike raped Bella while Edward was away with his family on a camping trip in which she became pregnant, leading to everything changing in the Twilight Saga. As a result, this fic was born. This fic will have depictions of rape that may make some readers feel uncomfortable. You should read at your own risk. This fic will follow New Moon in the start of a trilogy with significant changes. Elements from both the book and film will be present. I hope you enjoy this fic. Please don't hesitate to review. I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Constructive criticism is very welcome.

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Chapter 1: Good Times

Light rain fell on Forks on a Saturday afternoon in the early summer. Trees dipped and swayed in the wind as people walked up and down the sidewalks. A man blew a bubble in his gum while driving his truck down the street. He spotted Newton's Olympic Outfitters coming into view on his right. He flipped his blinker and pulled into a parking space in front of it. He switched off the engine and put on his hood before getting out.

The man approached the door and opened it, which made the bell ring. He walked inside, letting go of it. He slipped his hands into his pockets. Bella looked up from putting plastic cups on a middle shelf to the right of the man. The cups were all different colors and had eagles, whales, dolphins, and bears printed on them. They had removable tops and lifting spouts. A box filled with them was to the left of Bella.

"Good afternoon, sir," Bella greeted.

"Good afternoon to you, ma'am," the man replied warmly and stopped in his tracks.

"Is there anything I can do for you today?" Bella asked.

"No, I'm just here to get a drink," the man said, shaking his head.

"Okay," Bella said.

"Thanks for the offer," the man said and waved to Bella as he walked away.

"Sure," Bella responded.

Bella turned back to the shelf and put three cups on it. She sighed happily to herself. She had been living in Forks for four months and was enjoying her life here. She had many friends that she loved to hang out with. Among them were Jessica, Angela, Mike, and Jacob. She ended up meeting Quil, Embry, Seth, and Leah when she visited Jacob at his house a month after the prom. She got along well with all of them. Jacob, Quil, and Embry told her about Sam having a strange influence on some of the Quileute youth in La Push. Leah spoke of the beginning of her and Sam's relationship and its ending after they grew apart following three years together, the emergence of her jealousy when he began dating her cousin, Emily, and getting past it, and her uneasy relationship with her mother, Sue, over her tomboyish ways and desire to hang around Jacob and his friends.

For Bella, the best thing about Forks was her relationship with Edward that had been ongoing for three months. She never saw herself falling in love with a vampire, but she was glad that she did. She thought it was exciting and frightening at the same time. She was close to all the Cullens with the exception of Rosalie. She loved shopping with Alice and joking around with Emmett. She occasionally sought out Carlisle and Esme for advice. She hoped to become a vampire, so she could be with Edward for eternity. She had spoken about it to him a number of times. Each time ended with him saying he wouldn't condemn her soul. She hadn't pressed him on the issue recently.

Bella felt sad when Edward told her that he and his family would be heading out on a summer camping trip starting Monday and wouldn't be back until Sunday afternoon. She knew they were also going hunting. She learned that she'd have the house to herself when Charlie told her he was going on a weekend fishing trip with Billy and Harry starting Friday morning. She found it nice not hearing him yell over a bad sports call from all the way in her room or the kitchen. That annoyed her to no end.

Bella invited Angela and Jessica over to her house last night to watch movies and eat pizza. She was disappointed to learn both girls had plans to spend time with their families in Port Angeles when she asked if they could come over again tonight. Jessica would be riding go-carts while Angela would be going bowling. Jacob called after they left and asked Bella if she'd like to join him, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Leah for Saturday night pizza at his house, but she declined, as she didn't want it two nights in a row. When she got into work this morning, Bruce told her that he and Karen would be attending a birthday party for Oliver Hartson with family friends, Perry and Piper Peterson, who lived with their son, Brian, and worked as lawyers in Port Angeles.

Bella took three more cups out of the box and placed them on the shelf. She proceeded to start on the top one. She heard footsteps approaching and looked to her left to see fifty-four-year-old Bruce approaching her. Bruce looked a lot like Mike, except his hair was completely gray and cut in a crew style. He was muscular and wore a dark blue t-shirt, dark blue jeans, white socks, and tan boots. A scar could be found on his upper left arm. He stopped next to Bella.

"You're doing a fine job, Bella," Bruce said.

"Thanks, Mr. Newton," Bella answered, placing another cup on the shelf. "People can't get enough of these cups. They keep flying off the shelves."

"I know. I'm going to have to order a warehouse full of them to keep up with demand," Bruce muttered, touching the top of his head.

"The best thing about these is they keep your drinks cold for a long time," Bella commented.

"Yeah," Bruce agreed.

Bruce reached down to pick up a cup. He ran his hand over the animals and spout before putting it on the shelf.

"Mike adores his cup. He always takes it with him when he goes for a run," Bruce said.

"It's good to have water with you when you exercise, especially if it's hot outside," Bella said and licked her lips. "I always had to have some nearby in Phoenix during the summer."

"We're lucky here in Forks. We rarely get hot summers," Bruce whispered in relief.

"I have to admit that I miss the heat. I was used to it after living in it for so long. Jessica joked that people in Phoenix were supposed to be tan when I first met her. I replied that was may be why they kicked me out," Bella responded, laughing to herself.

"Jessica is a good girl, but she has a big mouth," Bruce said, rolling his eyes. "When she came in here to get a coke one day, she couldn't stop talking for one second while I rang it up."

"I can't really blame her for her big mouth. She always finds something new to talk about. Of course, it does get annoying after a while," Bella admitted.

"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who feels that way," Bruce said, crossing his arms.

Bella smiled at the older man while reaching down to grab four cups. She put each of them on the shelf.

"Karen and I are looking forward to going to Oliver's birthday party with Perry and Piper tonight. It's going to be a blast," Bruce said excitedly.

"I have no doubt Mike will enjoy having his house all to himself," Bella said, furrowing her brow.

"The same goes for Brian. He loves it when his parents leave him home alone because he can play his music loud," Bruce said, grimacing somewhat.

"Listening to loud music all the time can have a very bad effect on your hearing," Bella pointed out.

"That's true," Bruce agreed while nodding. "Perry and Piper have told Brian that many times, but he never listens."

"I bet he'll think differently when he finds he's having a hard time understanding people's words," Bella said honestly.

"Perhaps," Bruce answered. "Mike hardly listens to loud music, even when he wears headphones."

"Good for him," Bella said.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders before touching the back of his neck with both hands. Bella looked at her watch and let out a long whistle.

"Wow. My shift is already over. Where did the time go?" Bella asked.

"Time flies when you're kept busy, doesn't it?" Bruce replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Definitely. I'll see you Monday," Bella said.

"Be prepared. I'm making everyone who comes in Monday dance all over the store," Bruce joked.

"I'll be prepared for that," Bella answered, letting out a small laugh as she walked toward the back. "See you later."

"You too, Bella. Have a pleasant afternoon," Bruce said.

Bruce watched Bella until she was gone. He saw the man approach him with a coke. He took him to the cash register and typed in the price to ring it up.

"That'll be one dollar and fifteen cents, sir," Bruce announced.

"Here you go," the man replied, handing Bruce a five.

Bruce typed in the amount given and rang it up. He got the man his change and handed it to him.

"Three eighty-five is your change. Have a good day, sir," Bruce said.

"Thank you," the man said.

The man walked out the door with Bella close behind him. He held it open for her as she passed him. Bella gave him a warm smile.

"Thanks," Bella said sweetly.

"You're welcome. I always hold doors open for everyone," the man answered.

Bella chuckled and went to her truck. She got her keys out of her pocket, searching through them before finding the right one. She unlocked the door and opened it to climb in. She closed it with a loud slam. She started the engine and pulled out of her space. She drove right and passed three teens walking down the sidewalk on her left.

00000

The rain had stopped by the time Bella pulled her truck into the Swan residence's driveway ten minutes later. She turned off the engine and exited it. She made her way to the front door. She stopped when a squirrel ran out in front of her. She watched it disappear around the corner of the house on her left. She snorted in annoyance while going to the door. She pulled her hair behind her neck.

Bella pulled her keys out of her pocket. She searched through them until she found the correct one. She unlocked the door and opened it, its hinges squeaking somewhat. She closed it behind her. She tossed her purse on the living room couch and headed for the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet to the right of the sink. She turned on the water, filling it up more than halfway.

Bella turned off the water. She took a small sip as she returned to the living room to sit on the couch. She picked up the remote sitting on the end table and switched on the TV. She listened to a newscaster speak about a robbery in Seattle and shook her head in disbelief. She pressed PLAY on the VCR and began watching a recorded episode of _Press Your Luck_ she started on this morning before leaving for work.

Bella saw a contestant land on a Whammy and heard him groan in frustration. The Boy George Whammy danced across the screen as he sang 'Who would ever hurt a Whammy? Who would ever—" until a hammer crushed him into a big pile of goo. The Whammy card popped up with a boing. Bella couldn't hold back her laughter. She crossed her right leg over her left before touching her knee with both hands.

"I just can't get enough of those Whammies! They are best thing about this game!" Bella yelled in delight.

Bella looked toward the window. She could see sunrays peeking through the clouds. She felt relieved to see that after three days of light rain. She spotted a robin flying in and landing on the windowsill. The robin flapped its wings to air them out. It proceeded to chirp a beautiful melody. Another robin joined it and proceeded to mimic it.

Bella returned her attention to the TV. She propped her head up with her elbow while watching the contestant take his last spin on the board. She blinked three times and sighed to herself. She didn't want to spend tonight alone in the house. She wanted Angela and Jessica to be with her, yet she wanted them to have fun with their families.

Bella cupped her chin in her hand and began thinking about what she could do tonight. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. She and Mike could spend some quality time together. She knew he'd love that. She reached over and grabbed her purse. She dug through it until she found her cellphone and pulled it out. She went to her contacts list and searched through it until she found Mike's name. She pressed SEND and put it up to her ear. She listened to it ring.

"Please be there, Mike," Bella whispered tensely.

Bella bit her lips as she listened to a second ring. She clenched her teeth when a third one came. Just then, she heard a click.

_"Hello?"_ Mike said.

"Hi, Mike. It's Bella," Bella replied.

_"Hey, Bella! What's shaking?"_ Mike asked happily.

"I'm watching _Press Your Luck_ right now," Bella answered.

_"Oh, I love that game show! My favorite part is the Whammies. They are hysterical," _Mike said with a small laugh.

"My favorite Whammy is the Cyndi Lauper Whammy," Bella commented.

_"Mine too,"_ Mike responded. _"Who can resist singing 'I want money! I want money! I want money! Cash!' when she comes on?"_

"I know what you mean. Her hair is absolutely wild," Bella exclaimed.

_"People of the 80s could get away with wearing their hair like that,"_ Mike said.

"You want me to style your hair into an afro?" Bella joked.

_"No, thanks,"_ Mike replied, wincing quietly. _"It'd look too weird."_

"Aw, man! You always ruin my fun!" Bella whined and pretended to cry while squeezing her eyes shut.

_"Keep whining. I love hearing it,"_ Mike said and snickered lightly.

Bella removed the cellphone from her ear and blew a raspberry at it. She heard one come from Mike as she placed it back on. She opened her eyes and took slow yet even breaths.

"Mike, I want to ask you something," Bella said.

_"What?"_ Mike asked.

"Would you like to spend some time together?" Bella wondered, swallowing hard.

_"You really want to do that?"_ Mike said, his voice showing hints of excitement.

"Yeah!" Bella yelled eagerly.

_"All right!" _Mike shouted cheerfully. _"The good news is that my parents don't care if I go out with any of my friends tonight."_

"Great. Would you like to go to the Carver Café for dinner?" Bella asked and exhaled sharply.

_"That sounds good. How about we hang out at my house after that?"_ Mike replied.

"Okay. I'll pick you up at five-thirty. I'd like to get a shower," Bella said, scratching her neck.

_"That's fine with me. I'll see you later,"_ Mike said.

"You too," Bella commented.

Bella hung up her cellphone and slipped it into her pocket. She took the remote and pressed STOP before switching off the TV. She grabbed her purse and headed upstairs.


	2. Getting Picked Up and Cafe Arrival

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter two of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just six days to get out. I can't believe I already got six reviews for the first chapter. I want to thank everyone who reviewed. Your support means the world to me. As for other readers, please don't hesitate to review. I'd love to hear what your thoughts about this fic and any ideas you may have for it. Stay tuned for chapter three.

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Chapter 2: Getting Picked Up/Café Arrival

A sparrow flew in and landed on the tree branch closest to the Newton residence's living room window in the early evening. It looked inside to see Mike sitting on the couch. Mike watched a recorded episode of _Scrabble._ He saw a contestant choose the second of his letters that ended up not belonging in the featured word, which resulted in the first stopper. He let out a small laugh.

Mike propped his head up with his elbow and sighed in content. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Bella. He enjoyed her company greatly and never passed up an opportunity to hang out with her unless he had plans with his parents. He wondered what she would have for dinner at the Carver Café. He wasn't sure what he wanted himself yet.

Mike saw the other contestant pick two letters and choose the first one. He smiled that the letter fit in the word. Honking caught his attention. He stood up and walked to the window to see Bella's truck. He laughed in delight and headed to the TV to press STOP on the VCR and turn both off. He walked out the door, locking it with his key. He approached the truck and looked through the passenger window.

"Hey there, Arizona!" Mike greeted.

"Hey yourself, California. You ready to eat?" Bella asked.

"You bet! I'm starving!" Mike answered and opened the door to climb in.

"Don't think of eating the walls after dinner. They're not for dessert," Bella joked.

"Okay. I'll eat your hair for dessert," Mike said and snickered as he closed the door with a loud slam.

"I don't think so," Bella said, shaking her head.

"I think so," Mike said and smirked widely.

Bella stuck out her tongue at Mike, and he mimicked her. She pulled the truck out of the driveway and drove left.

"Have your parents gotten to Port Angeles yet?" Bella wondered.

"Not yet. They left about thirty minutes ago," Mike responded, putting on his seatbelt.

"They must enjoy spending time with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson a lot whenever they get together," Bella said.

"They sure do. They did it all the time when my parents and I were living in Sacramento. Brian and I were close friends. When I told him my family was moving, he was very sad. I promised we'd visit as much as we could. He said the same. Once every four months, our families alternated visits between our cities. When I learned from Dad that the Petersons would be moving to Port Angeles at thirteen years old, I was very happy. Just like before, we alternate visits between our cities every two weeks," Mike explained.

"Wow," Bella said in awe.

"Yeah," Mike said and chuckled lightly. "Brian's parents met Mr. Hartson at a café not long after moving to the area and became good friends with him. Mom, Dad, and I met him soon after during our first visit at their new house."

"I have no doubt that house is big and expensive," Bella said.

"Oh, it's both and very beautiful. It has a nice-sized indoor swimming pool. I've gone swimming there a few times. Brian threw me into the pool every time," Mike said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Bella let out a small giggle. Mike winked at her and pulled his hands behind his head. They looked toward the sky, seeing the sun come out from behind a large cloud.

"It's nice to have long days during the summer, isn't it?" Bella asked, shifting her attention toward the road.

"You bet. It sucks when the days get short in the winter. It's like the sun doesn't want to be out for more than ten hours every day during that time," Mike said.

"Try enduring sixty-five days without sunlight in the Arctic. You'd be burning out light bulbs like crazy," Bella commented.

"No, thanks. I'd never be able to endure darkness for that length of time," Mike said, shaking his head.

"Me neither. I don't think we would be able to endure eighty days of sunlight either," Bella said, exhaling sharply.

"You got that right," Mike agreed.

"I can say one thing. People living in the Arctic are very resilient," Bella said with pride.

"Oh, yeah," Mike said.

Bella smiled warmly and took deep breaths. She and Mike bounced in their seats when she hit a bump. She heard him laugh cheerfully.

"What a bounce!" Mike shouted.

"No kidding! I thought I was about to hit my head on the ceiling!" Bella replied.

"Would you like a sunroof?" Mike said, touching the ceiling.

"Yes, I would but only if it's installed in the truck. Holes don't look very appealing to most people," Bella pointed out.

"Duly noted," Mike said.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and turned on the radio. Phil Collins's _Something Happened On the Way to Heaven _started to play. Mike laughed cheerfully and patted his hand on his leg along to the music.

"I love this song. It's got such a great beat," Mike said.

"No kidding. Phil Collins is one of the best singers in the world," Bella said.

"Not to mention he's wonderful at playing guitar and drums," Mike commented and moved as if he were dancing in his seat.

"Can anyone in your family sing?" Bella asked.

"Nobody in my family can sing worth a crap," Mike responded, a light chuckle coming out of his mouth. "Brian has a good singing voice. So does his mother. His father's voice is only okay. What about your family?"

"Mom has a great singing voice. She got it from Gran. Dad and I can't sing at all," Bella said honestly.

"It looks like the singing gene decided to skip a generation," Mike said.

"Maybe it did. Maybe it didn't. Who knows?" Bella commented.

Mike winked at Bella and became still. Bella slowed down when she went through a puddle. She sped up as she passed a deer grazing on grass on her left.

00000

Bella pulled into a parking space in front of the Carver Café four minutes later. She turned off the engine and ran her fingers through her hair. She and Mike undid their seatbelts. They opened the doors and got out, slamming them shut. They made their way toward the front door. Two children pushed it open and ran out, forcing them to stop in their tracks. Their parents followed close behind. Mike and Bella looked at the family and shook their heads.

"Talk about two rude kids," Mike muttered in annoyance.

"Their parents didn't even reprimand them," Bella added, scoffing to herself.

"When I did something like that, my parents reprimanded me big time," Mike said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"So did mine," Bella said.

"I guess we're the lucky ones. Our parents cared enough to instill discipline in us," Mike said, smiling lightly.

"Yep, yep, yep," Bella said.

"Are you Ducky now?" Mike asked and laughed.

"I'd love to be. She was my favorite character in _The Land Before Time_ when I was a child. She still is," Bella explained.

"Littlefoot was my favorite character from that movie. He still is," Mike said proudly.

"Cool," Bella replied.

Mike and Bella approached the door and went inside. Cora looked up from the cash register and smiled warmly. She saw them stop before her.

"Hi, Mike, Bella," Cora greeted.

"Hey, Cora," Mike said with a wave. "How are you doing this evening?"

"I'm doing fine. What brings you and Bella here?" Cora wondered.

"Bella invited me to have dinner with her. Then we're going to hang out at my house," Mike explained happily.

"Oh, that's nice," Cora said and took out two menus. "Come with me."

Cora headed toward the back booth with Mike and Bella close behind her. The teens sat down as she handed them their menus. They nodded at her telling them she'd be back to check on them. Cora walked toward a customer on her right and gave him his bill. She returned to the register. Mike and Bella put their menus on the table. They opened them and began looking through them.

"Man. There is so much great stuff to eat that it's hard to choose," Mike exclaimed.

"No denying that," Bella agreed. "I already know what I want to drink. It's iced tea."

"Me too," Mike said.

"You drink iced tea?" Bella asked, furrowing her brow.

"All the time. I once drank four big glasses in a row. It sent me to the bathroom for more than five minutes," Mike commented.

"You might as well swim in a pool full of iced tea," Bella responded.

"Only if you join me," Mike said and moved his eyebrows up and down.

Bella allowed a small laugh to leave her mouth. She looked at the top of the second page and formed a smile on her face. She placed her finger on it.

"I'm having this salad like I always do," Bella said.

"I'm having this cheeseburger and fries," Mike said, tapping his finger at the bottom of the first page.

"I'm not a big fan of meat. I prefer vegetarian stuff," Bella said as she and her friend looked at each other.

"You'll never see me without meat," Mike said, his voice showing much pride.

"Don't eat too much meat. It can make you fat," Bella pointed out seriously.

"As long as I exercise, I don't have anything to worry about. Besides, I'm as healthy as a horse," Mike responded.

"That's what Dad said after you met up with me outside the café that day," Bella said and cleared her throat.

"Touché," Mike said and laughed heartily.

Bella waved Mike off. They heard footsteps approaching and saw Cora taking out her notepad. They gave her their orders. They saw her write them down and folded their menus to hand them to her. They gave her a thumbs-up when she told them she'd have their orders ready as soon as possible. They watched her walked away until she was out of sight. They turned to each other.

"I have to say food here is a lot better than what they have at McDonalds," Bella said, swallowing hard.

"I like having McDonalds once in a blue moon," Mike said, folding his hands and laying them on the table.

"I'm not fond of it or other fast food joints at all," Bella whispered and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear.

"That's cool. Of course, a little fast food doesn't hurt anyone," Mike said.

"For those who like it, it doesn't," Bella said.

Mike gave a shrug of his shoulders. He twirled his thumbs around while watching Bella prop her head up with her elbow.

"What do you plan on studying in college?" Mike wondered.

"I hope to study education and get a degree in it. I want to be a high school teacher," Bella explained. "What about you?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I would like to play college sports," Mike said, unfolding his hands.

"I see," Bella whispered. "Well, I hope you do get on a team."

"So do I. Maybe someone will be lucky enough to dunk me in the basketball hoop," Mike joked.

"Or throw you in the volleyball net," Bella added and laughed delightfully.

"That's a good one, Bella," Mike said, pointing his finger at Bella.

"Hey, it isn't polite to point," Bella said and pushed Mike's hand away.

"Well, you made me do it," Mike retorted playfully.

"Sure, I did," Bella said sarcastically.

Mike pretended to punch Bella in the jaw. Bella ruffled his hair, making him chuckle. She put her hand on the table. She and Mike began another conversation.


	3. Pleasant Dinner

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter three of "Into the Shadows." I am glad it took just six days to get out. I'd like for everyone to check out the Twilight Saga Wiki. It has loads of information about the books, films, characters, and locations. If any of you are writers, this is the perfect place for you to get started. Stay tuned for chapter four.

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Chapter 3: Pleasant Dinner

The café was a little more crowded ten minutes later. Bella laughed as Mike told her about the time he, Tyler, Eric, Angela, and Jessica got caught up in a food fight started by Lenny Miller, Larry Hartland, and Jamie Ryder during their sophomore year. She quieted down after he finished. Both of them already had gotten their tea.

"What a crazy food fight," Bella said.

"You bet," Mike agreed. "Lenny and Larry couldn't stop smearing food on each other's clothes after the former accidentally tripped and dumped his milk all over the latter's shirt. Jamie had to yell 'Food fight!' after Larry threw a banana at Lenny and missed when he ducked."

"At least Mr. Greene didn't let the incident go unpunished like some principals do," Bella said in relief.

"He has always been a great principal. He cares a lot about his students. He is always on guard when it came to bullies and disruptors," Mike replied.

"Bullies and disruptors were never much trouble at my old high school. Ms. Han was always on the lookout for them," Bella said, propping her head up with her elbow.

"That's good," Mike said and smiled lightly. "Did you ever get in trouble?"

"I did get detention for being late twice. Other than that, I've never been in any trouble," Bella explained.

"Cool," Mike responded.

Mike and Bella sipped a little bit of their tea. They watched a woman leave and looked at each other.

"I heard Mr. Greene has a preference for the Cullens because of their perfect academic history," Bella said.

"Yeah. That's nice," Mike mumbled sarcastically while looking away.

"What was that?" Bella asked.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Mike answered, turning back to his friend.

"All right, if that was nothing, then I will show you nothing!" Bella said in an evil-sounding voice.

"Oh, and what's that?" Mike retorted.

Bella smiled widely and knocked on Mike's head. Mike swatted her arm aside and mimicked her on hers.

"I hope someone answers and comes out of your head!" Mike said delightfully.

"Oh, someone will. They will attack you," Bella announced, pushing Mike's arm away.

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared!" Mike said mockingly and pretended to shake in fear.

"You should be!" Bella growled playfully and held up her fist.

Mike stuck his tongue out at Bella, who blew a raspberry at them. Approaching footsteps caught their attention, and they saw Cora coming toward them with their orders. They thanked her as she placed them on the table. They watched her walk away and turned toward their food. Bella got the honey mustard dressing to put it all over her salad. She proceeded to cut it up. Mike grabbed the ketchup and squirted some on his plate. He looked at Bella, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a big salad," Mike said in awe.

"I like it that way. It helps me to get more servings of vegetables," Bella responded and glanced at Mike. "Your cheeseburger is big too."

"That's the way I like it. It allows me to take some of it home if I can't finish it," Mike said and picked up his knife to cut the cheeseburger in half after putting the ketchup down.

"At least you're cutting it in half instead of picking up the whole thing," Bella commented.

"Yeah. Picking up the whole thing just makes all the veggies fall out," Mike said in annoyance.

Mike finished cutting the cheeseburger and put his knife down. He picked up the first half to take a small bite. He chewed it up and nodded in approval. Bella placed a forkful of salad into her mouth. She saw Mike swallow and heard him gulp loudly.

"Wow. That tasted even better than the cheeseburger I had here last time," Mike said and watched Bella chew and swallow.

"I can say the same for this salad," Bella said with pride.

"I remember in _Problem Child 2_ when a tomato in Big Ben's salad moved from one place to another. He asked Lawanda what was in it. She said it was blue cheese. He saw a cockroach on her face. Then cockroaches started crawling out of the salad bowl and began attacking them and Little Ben. Junior laughed his head off. It was such a funny scene," Mike said, taking another bite of his cheeseburger.

"I agree," Bella said, taking a deep breath. "It's sad John Ritter died at the age of fifty-four in 2003."

"Yes, it is. He was such a funny man. He was at his best in the first two _Problem Child _movies," Mike commented, licking his lips.

"I can't believe they replaced him with William Katt as Little Ben _in Problem Child 3_. He sucked big time. The same goes for Justin Chapman as Junior when he took over for Michael Oliver," Bella grumbled in disgust.

"I pretend that movie doesn't even exist. It's nothing more than a piece of crap," Mike said truthfully.

"Yep," Bella agreed, eating more of her salad.

Mike winked at Bella before taking another bite of his cheeseburger. He chewed it up, swallowing quickly. A woman came in and was led to a table located in front of the register by Cora, who gave her a menu once she sat down.

"I say the first _Problem Child_ was the best," Bella said, pushing a cherry tomato around with her fork.

"Me too. John and Michael had a great chemistry going from the second they came together onscreen. I could really see the father/son bond taking shape," Mike said.

"So did I. Jack Warden and Amy Yaserbeck were hoots as Big Ben and Flo," Bella whispered. "Michael Richards was cool as Martin 'The Bow Tie Killer' Beck."

"Hey, that actor shares my name!" Mike exclaimed.

"He sure does, but you prefer to be called Mike," Bella pointed out.

"It's better than being called Mikey," Mike muttered and shuddered somewhat.

"I think that'd be a great nickname for you," Bella responded and giggled. "Don't you think, Mikey?"

"Don't you dare," Mike warned.

"Duly noted," Bella said with a wink.

Mike waved Bella off and bit into his cheeseburger once more. Bella put another forkful of salad into her mouth. Cora listened to the woman give her order and wrote it down.

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Three people entered the café thirty minutes later. Cora got menus and took them to a table located to the left of the register. Mike and Bella were still seated at the booth. He listened to her talk about the time she was the victim of a whoopie cushion in her freshman year. They had already finished their dinner and dessert, which consisted of white cake with white icing. They were waiting for their bill. A to-go box sat to the left of Mike and contained half of his cheeseburger. Mike chuckled after Bella finished.

"Roy deserved to be sent to the principal's office by Mr. Kilmer," Mike commented and crossed his arms. "No teacher should tolerate pranks when it's not the time for them."

"You got that right," Bella agreed. "Ms. Han was never tolerant of pranks unless it was the school's annual Prank Day."

"Your school had Prank Day?" Mike asked, looking amazed.

"Yep. The entire day was filled with funny yet harmless pranks. The best part was seeing pranks backfire on the culprits," Bella said and laughed quietly.

"Our school has Prank Day too. It's in the fall, so you missed it. It's still a lot of fun. Tyler and I rigged Jessica and Angela's lockers to shoot silly string all over them when they opened them. They weren't happy about it. They got back at us by putting rubber spiders in our seats in Mr. Jefferson's class," Mike answered, holding up his hand.

"Neat," Bella said.

Mike laid his hand on the table and began tapping his finger on it. Bella decided to mimic him. She got a look from him.

"Oh, you're imitating my tapping now," Mike said in mock annoyance.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem with that?" Bella wondered and put her other hand on her side.

"Yes, there is. No one taps the table with a finger, except for me!" Mike declared.

"Too bad. I'm tapping it, anyway!" Bella said playfully. "In fact, here comes my tapping finger!"

Bella moved her tapping finger across the table and up Mike's arm. She went to the top of his head. She proceeded to tap it. Mike took her wrist and pulled her hand off it. He brought his to her neck to tickle it after letting go of her. Bella laughed, pushing his arm away.

"I think we can wait until we get to your house to play around some more," Bella suggested.

"Sure. We wouldn't want to make a mess in here, do we?" Mike asked, furrowing his brow.

"Nope," Bella replied and shook her head.

Mike gave a thumbs-up to Bella. Just then, Cora approached them with the bill in her hand.

"Are you two paying separately or together?" Cora asked.

"We're paying together," Bella answered.

"All right," Cora said with a nod.

Cora headed back to the register. Bella looked at the bill and saw the meals cost fourteen dollars and fifty-seven cents total. She put it down and started to reach into her purse for her wallet when Mike grabbed her wrist. She gazed at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Hold on, Bella. I'll pay for this," Mike said.

"Are you sure, Mike? I invited you to dinner," Bella said, seeing Mike let go of her.

"I want to," Mike said and put his hand on the table. "You can call it a tradeoff. You invited me to dinner. I'll pay for it."

"Okay," Bella relented.

Mike winked at Bella before taking the bill from her. He reached into pocket to get his wallet. He got fifteen dollars out of it and put it back. He grabbed his box and stood up. He headed over to the register. Bella followed him close behind. Mike handed the bill to Cora, who scanned it and typed in the price to ring it up. He gave her the money. Cora typed in the amount given and rung it up. She got forty-seven cents and handed it to Mike.

"Thanks for coming. Have a nice evening," Cora said and smiled widely.

"You too, Cora," Mike responded with a nod.

Mike and Bella walked out of the café to her truck. They got in and buckled their seatbelts. Mike placed his box between his feet. He rubbed his stomach, sighing in content.

"Man, that really hit the spot," Mike whispered.

"Yes, it did," Bella agreed and got her keys out of her purse.

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner, Bella," Mike said sweetly.

"You're welcome," Bella replied, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. "Thanks for paying the bill."

"No problem," Mike answered and clicked his tongue twice.

Bella started up the engine. She and Mike heard Bryan Adams' _Summer of 69 _beginning to play as she pulled out of her parking space and drove right. Mike clapped three times.

"Whoo-hoo! I love this song!" Mike cheered.

"So do I. It's got a great beat to it," Bella said warmly.

"Who would've thought Bryan Adams could play rock-and-roll as well as soft music?" Mike wondered and laughed quietly.

"I know!" Bella shouted, tapping her hand on the steering wheel. "On top of that, he can really sing his heart out!"

"He sure can. He was great on the _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron_ soundtrack," Mike commented.

"My favorite song is the end title version of _Here I Am._ He really puts his all into it," Bella said, smiling widely.

"That's my favorite song too. I feel like I am actually running with Spirit and his herd in the Cimarron Valley," Mike whispered, moving his arms as if they were a horse's legs.

"So can I," Bella agreed. "I have to give horses credit for being so hardy. They can survive in almost any weather condition."

"No kidding. They put their backs to the wind and continue grazing like they don't have a care in the world," Mike said, putting his hands in his lap and taking a deep breath.

"Yep," Bella said while nodding.

Mike let out a small chuckle and started moving his foot to the song. He and Bella proceeded to lip-sync the lyrics.


	4. Fun Turns Into Terror

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter four of "Into the Shadows." I am glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter contains depictions of rape. If that makes you uncomfortable, then don't read any further. Other than that, read at your own risk. The rating has been upped to M. Stay tuned for chapter five.

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Chapter 4: Fun Turns Into Terror

Bella drove down the road seven minutes after leaving the café. Whitney Houston's _How Will I Know _played on the radio. Mike looked out his window. He watched the trees go by. He shifted his attention toward the ground and spotted four deer grazing on grass. Bella looked toward him as he propped his head up with his elbow.

"It's nice to see deer out and about," Mike said.

"I never saw deer in Phoenix. I lived in the suburbs. On top of that, the climate is a bit too hot for them," Bella said.

"At least you can see them now," Mike pointed out and looked at his friend.

"Yeah. They're cool animals. The bucks are so magnificent with their antlers," Bella commented, chuckling to herself.

Mike pretended to punch Bella in the shoulder. He saw her narrow her eyes and stick her tongue out at him.

"My parents and I painted my room two weeks ago," Mike commented.

"Oh, really?" Bella wondered.

"Yeah. We decided it was time for a new paint job. It took us three days to complete it," Mike said.

"I'd like to see it," Bella said, blinking twice.

"Great," Mike responded in much delight.

"A year before I moved out here, I helped Mom paint her room. We also thought it could use a new paint job. It took us two days to finish," Bella said, exhaling sharply.

"I bet it was hard trying to air her room out since it's hot in Phoenix," Mike whispered.

"We actually did it in the late fall. It wasn't the least bit hot," Bella replied proudly.

"Great," Mike said, clapping twice.

Bella winked at Mike. She saw the Newton residence coming into view and pulled into the driveway. She turned off the engine. She took off her seatbelt, as did Mike. They exited the truck and walked to the front door. Mike searched through his keys until he found the right one. He unlocked the door and opened it, its hinges squeaking somewhat. He went inside, followed by Bella. He closed the door while watching put her purse in the armchair.

Mike took Bella upstairs, stopping at the first door on their right. He opened the door, and they walked in. Bella stared at it in awe. The room had a twin bed in the middle of it and set against the wall. A tan comforter was on the bed, as were tan sheets. The pillows had tan pillowcases. The floor was covered in dark brown carpet. A TV sat on top of an antique dresser in front of the bed. The windows had light brown curtains hanging from them. The walls were painted beige. Bella looked at Mike.

"Your room looks great," Bella said warmly.

"Thanks," Mike replied and put his hands on his hips. "Brown is one of my favorite colors. I love its different shades."

"Me too," Bella agreed.

"You want me to paint you brown, so you match my room?" Mike joked.

"You can do that on one condition," Bella said, holding up a finger.

"What's that?" Mike wondered.

"You have to let me paint you brown first," Bella answered, moving her eyebrows up and down.

"No way," Mike said, shaking his head.

"Yes way," Bella said, nodding rapidly.

Mike pulled Bella into a headlock, giving her a noogie. Bella wiggled herself free from his grasp. She tweaked his nose and pretended to pull his underwear over his head. Mike moved his arms around as if he were blind. Bella started laughing loudly.

"Aw! Poor Mike can't see! Don't worry. I'll help you," Bella taunted and pretended to remove Mike's underwear from over his head. "All better?"

"Yes," Mike said while nodding.

"Good," Bella said and smiled lightly. "How about we go watch a movie downstairs?"

"Sure. How about _The Terminator_?" Mike suggested.

"That's fine with me. You up for a game of Go Fish too?" Bella wondered.

"You bet," Mike said happily.

Mike headed downstairs to the living room with Bella close behind. He grabbed _The Terminator's_ DVD case off the entertainment center's top shelf and opened it as she sat on the couch. He turned on the DVD player before putting it inside. He pressed PLAY and switched on the TV. He seated himself on the couch while opening the end table's drawer. He dug through it until he found a pack of cards. He closed the drawer and took them out of their box. He started to shuffle them as the movie began.

"_The Terminator _is such a great movie. It's hard to believe that it's over twenty years old," Bella whispered in awe.

"I know. It has wonderful action and acting. Who would've thought a low-budget movie would launch James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger into stardom?" Mike wondered.

"I don't think they thought that would happen, but it did. That movie was followed by the superior sequel called _Terminator 2: Judgment Day,_" Bella pointed out.

"That's my favorite movie. The action is so cool in that one. The acting is wonderful. The best part is the special effects," Mike said.

"No kidding. Those effects have really stood the test of time," Bella said and cleared her throat.

"Mm-hmm," Mike agreed.

Mike finished shuffling the deck. He dealt himself and Bella five cards each before placing it on the coffee table. They proceeded to play Go Fish.

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Mike and Bella were immersed in their fourth game of Go Fish more than twenty-five minutes later. They moved their cards around. They looked at each other for a long moment before turning back to them. The TV continued to play the movie. Mike narrowed his eyes at his cards and decided to glance at Bella, who licked her lips.

"You got any sixes, Bella?" Mike asked.

"Nope. Go fish, Mike," Bella answered.

Mike rolled his eyes and drew a card from the deck. He nestled it amongst the others. Bella raised an eyebrow, taking slow yet even breaths. She shifted her attention to Mike.

"You got any kings, Mike?" Bella asked.

"Oh, man! I really don't want to give my kings up!" Mike yelled in much frustration.

"Come on, Mike. Don't be such a card hog," Bella responded and held out her hand.

Mike sighed to himself. He handed his two kings over to Bella, who laid them and hers on the coffee table. Bella pumped her fist and laughed in delight.

"I strike again!" Bella shouted.

"I can't believe I lost four games in a row. I always win several in a row before someone else does," Mike grumbled.

"I guess tonight is my lucky night," Bella said, furrowing her brow.

"Maybe," Mike responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

Bella gathered the cards and straightened them up. She placed them on the coffee table before putting her hands in her lap.

"I'm going to get some water in the kitchen," Bella said.

"Okay," Mike replied.

Bella stood up and headed for the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet to the left of the refrigerator. She went to the sink to fill it up with water. She turned off the faucet and took a sip. Unbeknownst to her, Mike came up behind her. He put his hands on her waist and started stroking it.

"Mike, what are you doing?" Bella asked, becoming a little tense.

"Shh," Mike whispered gently.

Mike took Bella's glass out of her hand and placed it on the counter to the left of the sink. He pulled her hair aside to kiss her neck. He moved his hands upward to fondle her breasts. He pressed his crotch into her butt. Bella tried not to moan, but she couldn't stop herself. She regained her bearings and grabbed Mike's hands. She pulled them off her and stepped away from him. Mike turned to face her.

"Bella, what gives?" Mike asked innocently.

"Mike, I'm dating Edward! You should understand that by now!" Bella shouted angrily.

"What does that Cullen guy have that I don't? I'm the perfect guy for you. We go well together. Besides, you liked what I was doing," Mike said and tried to approach Bella, but she stopped him by putting her hand on his chest.

"No, I didn't like what you were doing," Bella said firmly and crossed her arms. "I'm telling you this right now. Edward and I are together. I have never liked you as any more than a friend."

"Bella, that guy isn't good for you," Mike said with a loud scoff. "He's always looking at you like you're something to eat."

"So what if he does? I love him, and he loves me. That's all that matters to us. If you can't respect that, then I guess we can't be friends," Bella whispered regretfully.

"Oh, come on! You can't be serious!" Mike yelled in shock.

"I am serious. You can't stand the fact that I'm taken. Hear me out. I will never be yours. Our friendship is over! I'm going home!" Bella growled truthfully.

Bella turned to walk toward the living room. Mike formed an angry expression on his face and stalked toward her. He grabbed fistfuls of her hair and hit her head against the doorway, knocking her unconscious. He bent down to pick her up. He moved her over his shoulder and headed upstairs to his room. He laid her on the bed and got in between her legs.

Mike saw Bella's head was leaning to the left. He turned it toward him to press a hard kiss to her lips. He did this several times before moving to her neck and kissing it. He placed his hands on her breasts and proceeded to fondle them. He felt himself becoming hard. Bella groaned and stirred quite a bit. Mike felt her movements and ceased his ministrations on her. He pulled back to look at her. Bella opened her eyes, gasping fearfully at seeing him. Mike formed an evil smile on his face.

"Nice to see you awake, Bella," Mike sneered.

"Mike, why are you doing this? Please, let me go!" Bella pleaded, tears stinging her eyes.

"No way!" Mike yelled, hissing fiercely. "You belong to me! You always have!"

Mike dove down to kiss Bella's neck. Bella screamed in much disgust and struggled to get free. Unfortunately, she was unable to.

"Stop it, Mike! Stop!" Bella yelled.

"Shut up!" Mike roared.

Mike pulled back and slapped Bella across the cheek. He ripped open her blouse with a fierce growl. Bella beat on him with her fists. Mike pushed them away and punched her in the face, splitting her lip open. He took off her blouse and bra, throwing them to the floor. He removed his t-shirt. He used it to tie Bella's hands above her head. He brought his face close to her ear. Bella looked away, whimpering quietly.

"Listen to me. I'm going to make love to you, and you will enjoy it!" Mike snarled.

Mike brought his hands to the button of Bella's blue jeans and undid them as well as the zipper. Bella struggled hard, getting a backhand across the cheek from him. Mike pulled her jeans off along with her underwear. He undid his pants and took them and his underwear off. He got back in between her legs, taking deep breaths as he grabbed her wrists with one hand.

Bella struggled even harder while tossing her head from side to side. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her. She wished with all she had that someone would stop Mike. It seemed everything was going in slow motion, and nothing could make it go any faster. She looked up at Mike, tears falling from her eyes.

"Mike, please. Don't do this," Bella cried, her voice cracking.

"No, Bella. It's useless to fight me. I have you now," Mike leered.

Mike took himself in hand and moved toward Bella's entrance. He smiled sinisterly at seeing the terror in her eyes as he leaned forward and thrusted into her very roughly. Bella screamed at feeling the pain of her barrier being broken. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to will it away, but she couldn't. She whimpered when Mike began to move within her.

Mike placed his other hand on Bella's wrists, gripping them tightly. He formed a look of bliss and satisfaction on his face while thrusting in and out of her. He listened to her crying and pleading, both edging him on. He bent down to suck on one breast and fondle the other. He lifted his head and gazed down at Bella, his eyes filled with much lust. He bared his teeth, bringing his hands to her face.

"Oh, you feel so good, Bella," Mike blurted out and emitted a lustful growl.

Mike moaned and grunted with every trust. He massaged Bella's outer thighs. He increased the pressure on them. He made his way to the inner part of them. He rubbed them just as hard. Bella's eyes formed more tears. She squeezed them shut to keep them from falling, but it didn't work. She opened them, her breathing turning to shudders.

Feeling his climax approach, Mike increased the speed of his thrusts. He pinched Bella's nipples roughly, causing her to cry out in pain. He rolled them in his hands. He licked the undersides of her breasts and bit down on them hard. He formed a joyful smile on his face at hearing her painful whimpers. He pulled away from her breasts to stare at her. He relished from seeing the terror in her eyes.

Mike thrusted into Bella one final time and arched his back while emptying himself inside her. He couldn't hold himself up any longer and collapsed onto her, panting heavily. His body spasmed against hers. Bella continued to cry, closing her eyes. Mike's breathing returned to normal. He pulled back to look at Bella, seeing her open her eyes. He smiled at her and touched her cheek. He stroked it with his thumb very slowly. Bella made a disgusted face.

"You don't know how good you felt, Bella," Mike whispered and leaned down close to Bella's ear. "Guess what? It's not over."

Mike pulled halfway out, shoving into Bella very hard. He chuckled cheerfully at hearing her cry out in pain. Bella lost consciousness as he proceeded to rape her again.

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Bella stirred and groaned softly. She opened her eyes slowly, only to find blurry vision. She blinked them four times to clear them. She glanced down to see she was dressed. She found her hands on either side of her head. Her lip was swollen, and her face had bruises on it. A bump had formed on her head. She heard chuckling and spotted Mike sitting in a chair in the corner. She sat up rapidly, whimpering uncontrollably. Mike had his clothes back on. He stood up and approached the bed. He stopped next to it.

"It's about time you woke up, Sleeping Beauty. You've been out for nearly an hour," Mike commented.

"What?" Bella mumbled, swallowing hard.

"Mm-hmm. I cleaned up the blood from your lip," Mike said and smirked widely. "I did you three more times while you were out."

"Oh, god," Bella whispered.

"Oh, yeah," Mike responded while nodding. "Sex with Jessica was good, but you were even better because you were out. It made me want more of you."

"You're a sick bastard!" Bella yelled.

"And proud of it," Mike replied.

Mike pinched Bella's cheek, speaking baby talk. He felt her push his hand aside and chuckled to himself.

"Getting a little touchy, aren't we?" Mike leered.

"I can't believe what you did to me! I never thought you'd do something like that!" Bella yelled.

"You deserved it. If you hadn't resisted me, it wouldn't have happened. I still got what I wanted," Mike retorted with a hiss.

"Says you," Bella muttered in disgust.

"That's right," Mike said with pride.

Mike ruffled Bella's hair, getting his hand smacked away from him by her. He leaned close to her ear. He blew into it, which made her tense up.

"I'd love to see how your precious boyfriend will react when he learns that you're no longer a virgin," Mike whispered.

"Stop, please," Bella replied, her body trembling.

"I bet he'll dump your ass. No guy wants a tainted girl. If this were a horror movie, you'd be dead," Mike said, laughing in a sinister manner and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Just—" Bella started.

"No, you listen. You're a slut. You always will be. No man will ever want you. You will be forever alone. You deserve to be because only virgins deserve happiness and love," Mike taunted.

Bella shoved Mike away and ran out of his room. She heard him laugh aloud as she went to the living room to grab her purse. She headed out the front door and got in her truck. She fumbled with her key before starting it. She pulled out of the driveway and drove away very quickly. She wiped the tears from her eyes as they formed.

Bella arrived at the Swan residence within four minutes. She got out of her truck and went to the front door. She unlocked it and opened it to go inside. She closed it behind her and walked toward the kitchen. She felt her legs give way once she got there and ended up on her knees. She laid on her side, curling into a fetal position.

Bella put her hand over her face as she began to cry hysterically. Images of Mike raping her rushed through her mind. She breathed deeply in an effort to push them out, but she couldn't. She felt so disgusted and shamed. She was scared Mike was right that Edward wouldn't want her anymore since she was no longer a virgin. She shuddered badly, and more tears flowed from her eyes.


	5. Getting Help and Leaving Town

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter five of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. I made a change to chapter one where Bella tells Mike she will pick him up at five-thirty instead of six-thirty. Another change I made was to chapter four where Mike mentions that sex with Jessica was good, but Bella was better because she was out. I also added details about Bella having bruises and a swollen lip due to Mike's hitting her while he raped her. Stay tuned for chapter six.

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Chapter 5: Getting Help/Leaving Town

A bobcat wandered down the side of the road nearly an hour later. It heard hooting and looked up at an owl sitting on an overhanging branch. It returned its attention to what was in front of it. It stopped and sniffed at the ground. It began to paw at it. It looked up at the sight of approaching headlights and watched a car pass on its right. It went back to pawing at the ground.

Edward slid his hands down to the steering wheel's sides. He looked out his window toward the sky. He saw the stars shining brightly. The stars seemed to twinkle one at a time. Alice moved around in the passenger's seat as if she were dancing. Phil Collins's _You Can't Hurry Love_ played on the radio. Edward turned his attention to his sister, raising an eyebrow.

"I swear, Alice, that you're going to dance your way out of this car," Edward said.

"I can't help it. I love this song. Phil Collins is such a great singer," Alice replied and clapped twice.

"He's cool. He plays the drums really well," Edward said.

"Not to mention he's great with keyboards and guitars," Alice added and laughed lightly.

"Whatever you do, Alice, don't start singing," Edward warned.

"Okay," Alice said, looking toward her brother. "You can't hurry love. No, you'll just have to wait. She said love don't come easy. It's a game of give and take."

Edward laughed to himself. He loved telling Alice not to sing knowing she'd still do it. He found it entertaining to listen to her off-key voice. He eyed her becoming still and looking ahead.

"At least you're not as bad as many contestants are on _American Idol._ Their voices are just terrible," Edward muttered.

"No kidding. Some of them sound like cats being dragged up a chalkboard by their claws," Alice said, making a disgusted face.

"Some see themselves as the greatest singers in the world and get mad when the judges tell them they are awful," Edward grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"The judges are being honest. If the contestants can't take their critique, then they shouldn't participate," Alice said bluntly.

"Exactly," Edward said.

Alice shrugged her shoulders and slipped locks of hair behind her ears. She looked out her window. She saw an owl turn its head completely around while sitting on a branch near the middle of a tree. She turned back to Edward.

"Bella is going to be so surprised to see us," Alice said, her voice showing hints of excitement.

"She sure will," Edward agreed and chuckled quietly. "She's not expecting us until tomorrow afternoon."

"Do you think Charlie will be there?" Alice wondered.

"I'm not sure. It's more than likely he's on another weekend fishing trip," Edward said.

"If he's there, he'll just as surprised as Bella will be to see us back early. I'm sure he'll allow us to visit with her for a little bit. After all, it's Saturday night. She doesn't have to get up early in the morning," Alice commented.

"Just don't take up all our time with her talking about clothes, Alice," Edward warned.

"Duly noted," Alice answered. "If she isn't there, then we'll wait."

"Of course," Edward agreed.

Edward saw the Swan residence coming into view and spotted Bella's truck. Alice laughed excitedly as he pulled into the driveway.

"Great! Bella's home!" Alice said.

"We're not going to see her by sitting in this car," Edward said.

"Then let's move it!" Alice yelled, clapping twice.

Edward turned off the engine and got out along with Alice. They approached the front door. They became alarmed when they heard crying coming from inside. Edward opened the door and rushed into the house. Alice was right behind him. They headed for the kitchen and found Bella laying on her side on the floor. They saw her turn over to look at them. They were shocked at seeing the bruises on her face, the bump on her head, and her swollen lip. They could see her eyes were red from crying. They dropped to their knees beside her.

"Edward, Alice, what are you—" Bella moaned.

"Bella, what happened to you?" Edward asked frantically.

"Mike—" Bella started, her voice shuddering.

"What? What did Mike do?" Alice wondered.

"He—" Bella mumbled.

"Tell us, please," Edward pleaded.

"He beat and raped me while I was spending time with him at his house," Bella said, choking back a sob as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Edward and Alice felt their eyes go wide with shock. They knew Mike had always been jealous of Bella's relationship with the former. They were also aware that he possessed inappropriate thoughts about her, though they hadn't known the truth depth of them. They realized Charlie would be horrified when they told him what happened, as would the rest of their family. They heard Bella begin crying.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Bella muttered and opened her eyes.

"Bella, don't say that. What Mike did isn't your fault. It's his," Edward replied.

"You didn't make him do this. He made the decision to rape you on his own," Alice added.

"He also said—" Bella started.

"Shh. Don't talk anymore," Edward interrupted quietly and moved his hands toward his girlfriend. "Come here."

"No, don't touch me!" Bella yelled in fright.

"It's all right, Bella. I won't hurt you," Edward said calmly. "I'd never hurt you intentionally. You know that."

"Please—" Bella started.

Edward didn't pay attention to Bella's plea and helped her sit up. He cradled her head against his chest. He ran his hand over her hair, shushing her as she grabbed his shirt and continued to cry. He felt her tears soak it. An angry expression formed on his face. He wanted to make Mike pay for what he did to Bella. However, he knew she needed to get to the hospital first.

Alice got out her cellphone and dialed 911. She put her cellphone to her ear after pressing SEND. She heard two rings before a click came. She stood up and walked away from the couple as she gave a dispatcher details about what happened to Bella. She hung up her cellphone and returned to Bella. She got on her knees and saw her look at her with tears shining in her eyes.

"The ambulance will be here in a few minutes, Bella," Alice whispered. "It's going to be okay."

"I'm going to call Charlie. He needs to know about this," Edward said, reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, God. I hope he answers," Alice commented, swallowing hard.

Edward pulled out his cellphone and proceeded to search through his contacts. Alice rubbed Bella's shoulder in a gentle manner.

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Charlie, Billy, and Harry sat around a campfire close to a lake in La Push. Billy was in his wheelchair while Charlie and Harry were in longue chairs. They held sticks over it with marshmallows on the tips. Three tents were behind them, as were three coolers filled with fish and two trucks. A box of graham crackers, a package of chocolate, and a bag of marshmallows was between Charlie and Billy. Charlie picked his beer up off the ground and sipped a little bit of it. He put it back down before stroking his mustache.

"Nothing better than roasting marshmallows after a successful day of fishing, is there, Charlie?" Billy asked.

"You bet, Billy," Charlie answered happily. "I hope tomorrow's fishing will be just as great as today's was."

"So do I. I'm eager to fry up fish for my family when I get home," Harry said and looked toward his lifelong friends. "Would you and your kids like to join us?"

"That's a great idea, Harry," Charlie commented.

"It sure is. Just don't steal all the tartar sauce," Billy joked with a snicker.

"How about I throw it in your face then, Billy?" Harry asked.

"Be my guest as long as Charlie gets some of it too," Billy said.

Harry chuckled and looked at his marshmallow, which was burning. He took it away from the campfire and shook his stick rapidly. He managed to put it out. Charlie broke into a fit of laughter.

"Now, that's what I call a fiery marshmallow," Charlie commented.

"Very funny, Charlie. Toss me the marshmallows," Harry said.

Charlie got the marshmallows and tossed them to Harry, who caught them easily. He watched him remove the burnt marshmallow and put another one on his stick. He heard ringing and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his cellphone and looked at it. A surprised expression formed on his face.

"It's Edward," Charlie said and pressed SEND before putting his cellphone to his ear.

"What does he want?" Billy whispered, looking at Harry.

"Who cares?" Harry replied.

"Edward, you're back in Forks early. What's going on?" Charlie asked and became alarmed when he heard Edward speak. "What? Oh, my God."

Billy and Harry glanced at Charlie. They listened to him talk with Edward. They saw him get up and run his hand through his hair. Charlie hung up his cellphone and put it back in his pocket. He rushed to his tent, which was the first one. He reached inside to grab his wallet and slipped it into his pocket. He zipped up his jacket as he looked at Billy and Harry.

"I have to get to the hospital. Edward and Alice are waiting for an ambulance to take Bella there. She was raped by Mike while spending time with him," Charlie said frantically.

"Oh, my goodness," Harry muttered shockingly.

"Is she okay?" Billy wondered.

"Edward said she was bruised and had a swollen lip and a bump on the head, but he and Alice didn't find any signs of broken bones," Charlie answered as he started to take down his tent.

"That's a relief," Billy commented.

"I'm so sorry our fishing trip ended like this, but I have to get to my daughter," Charlie said and sighed heavily.

"It's all right. We understand," Harry replied comfortingly and stood up.

"In fact, we'll go with you, despite that it's likely the Cullens will be at the hospital," Billy added.

"Thanks, guys," Charlie said.

Billy and Harry nodded at their friend. They went over to their tents and proceeded to take them down.

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Edward continued to hold Bella in the Swan residence's kitchen five minutes later. He ran his hand over her hair, whispering inaudible words to her. Bella trembled quite a bit, her breathing turning into shudders. She closed her eyes. Edward watched Alice talk on her cellphone next to the refrigerator. He saw her hang it up and look toward him.

"Carlisle and the others are going to meet us at the hospital," Alice said, letting out a small sigh.

"Where is that ambulance?" Edward grumbled, looking at his watch. "It should've been here by now."

"Be patient, Edward. It'll be here," Alice assured.

"I know. With this being a small town, you'd think it'd get here very quickly," Edward commented.

"Well, ambulances can't exactly run people and their cars over in trying to get to their destinations," Alice pointed out.

"That's true," Edward agreed. "Still, I want Bella to get treated as soon as possible."

"I do too," Alice admitted.

Suddenly, a siren came out of nowhere. Flashing red lights shined through the living room window. Alice went to the front door and opened it as the ambulance pulled into the driveway. She saw two EMTs open the doors to the back and bring out the stretcher. She waved her hand toward herself. The EMTs followed her into the house.

The EMTs arrived in the kitchen along with Alice. They brought the stretcher to Edward and Bella. They lowered it and removed the backboard as Alice joined the group. Edward allowed them to load Bella onto the backboard. He observed them putting her on the stretcher and strapping her down. The EMTs raised the stretcher and took Bella out to the ambulance. Edward and Alice followed them. They saw them opening the doors to the back of the ambulance.

"Hey, could I ride in the back with Bella?" Edward asked.

"Sure," the first EMT answered.

"I don't think company would do any harm," the second EMT added.

"Thank you," Edward said in much relief.

"I'll follow in your car, Edward, if that's okay," Alice said.

"Of course," Edward said and got his keys out of his pocket. "You'll need these."

"Thank you," Alice said, taking the keys.

The EMTs lowered the stretcher and loaded Bella into the ambulance. Edward climbed in, followed by them. The EMTs slammed the doors shut. They approached the window to the front and knocked on it three times. The driver glanced at them, giving them a nod. She pulled out of the driveway and went right. Alice drove after her in Edward's car.

The first EMT prepped an IV for Bella while the second used a stethoscope to check her heart rate. Bella gazed at Edward and reached out her hand. Edward took it into his, squeezing it with much gentleness. He saw tears form in her eyes and fall from them. He stroked her forehead with the back of his hand. Bella swallowed hard, her lower lip quivering.

"I'm sorry you had to come home to this, Edward," Bella mumbled guiltily.

"Shh. It's okay, Bella. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," Edward responded lovingly.

"I hurt so much down there," Bella whimpered, moving her hand downward.

"Don't worry. The doctors will take care of that," Edward assured and made shushing sounds.

Bella sniffled and breathed deeply as she felt her boyfriend kiss her forehead. Edward pulled back and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. The EMTs looked at him sympathetically.

"You two must be really serious, aren't you?" the first EMT wondered.

"Very much so. We're everything to each other," Edward answered honestly.

"That's good. A guy should stick by his girl, especially when something horrible happens to her," the second EMT said.

"That's exactly what I am doing," Edward said in determination.

The EMTs smiled at Edward and continued to work on Bella. Edward looked toward the window. He could see Alice driving a short distance away. He turned back to Bella.

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A squirrel ran across the Peterson residence's roof. It jumped onto a tree branch and went across it. It climbed down the trunk toward another located at the bottom. It stopped at the end and looked in the living room window to see seventeen-year-old Brian dancing to Michael Jackson's _Thriller _as it played from a boom box that sat in an armchair to the left of the couch.

Brian moonwalked in front of the couch and twirled around three times. He moved left and right while snapping his fingers. Being Caucasian, he was tall and had short dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He had a muscular frame and two scars on his upper left arm. He wore a long-sleeved dark red shirt, dark blue jeans, white socks, and ebony black tennis shoes.

Brian stopped to twirl around four more times. He moonwalked toward the wall near the stairs. He ran across the room and slid on his knees. He came to a stop next to the armchair. He pumped his fists and cheered wildly. The song played its final notes and came to a stop. Brian stood up and rubbed his hands together. He made his way to the boom box to turn it off.

Brian unplugged the boom box and picked it up to lay it on the floor under the window. He went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get a coke. He closed it with a slam. He placed his coke on the counter. The doorbell's ringing caught his attention. He approached the front door and looked through the peephole. He saw Mike standing before it. He unlocked it and opened it.

"Mike, what are you doing here?" Brian asked, furrowing his brow.

"I needed to come here as fast as I could," Mike said and walked inside after his friend stepped aside.

"Why?" Brian said and closed the door behind him before leaning against it. "What's going on?"

"I don't know if I can tell you," Mike muttered tensely.

"Come on, man. We're friends. You can tell me anything," Brian assured.

"Okay. Why don't we sit down?" Mike suggested.

"All right," Brian answered.

Mike and Brian went over to the couch and sat down with a light grunt. They took slow yet even breaths.

"So, what's going on?" Brian wondered.

"Earlier tonight, Bella and I went over to my house after she invited me out to dinner at the Carver Café. I tried to get intimate with her, but she resisted me. I got angry and—" Mike explained, scratching his neck.

"What? What did you do?" Brian demanded.

"I raped her," Mike responded.

Brian felt his eyes grow wide with shock. He stood up and walked away from Mike. He put his hand over his mouth. Mike rose to his feet and approached him as he faced him.

"Mike, you are in some deep shit right now," Brian said.

"I know. I need to get out of town fast because Bella will turn me in to police. I came here since I know you can provide me with the means to leave," Mike said.

"You know I will do anything for you, but helping you evade police is a bit much. It can get me in a lot of trouble," Brian pointed out seriously.

"I understand that, but I can't stick around Forks. The whole town will quickly find out what I did to Bella. They'll come after me without mercy, especially Chief Swan and Edward," Mike said fearfully.

"An angry father and boyfriend aren't a good combination. That's for sure," Brian muttered.

"No kidding," Mike agreed. "You've got to help me, man."

"Mike, I don't know if I should. If my parents find out I helped you get out of town to avoid being charged with rape, they will be livid. They could disown me," Brian said and put his hands on his sides.

"Maybe so. My parents will more than likely disown me after they find out what I did to Bella. They hold her in high regard because she is an excellent employee at their store," Mike commented.

"Mike—" Brian started.

"Please, man. I did a lot for you when we were kids. The least you can do is give me enough money, so I can start over somewhere else. Then I won't ask you for anything else," Mike pleaded.

Brian walked away from Mike and stopped at the window. He knew he shouldn't be helping him leave town, yet he felt a great deal of loyalty to him. They had been close friends ever since they were children, and he wasn't about to throw their friendship away. He turned around to face Mike.

"All right, Mike. I'll help you," Brian said.

"Thank you, Brian. Thank you," Mike whispered and sighed in relief as he put his hand over his mouth.

"You know that my parents have been giving me four hundred dollars a week as an allowance since I was thirteen. I have about six thousand dollars of that stashed upstairs in case of an emergency. Will that be enough for you?" Brian wondered.

"I think it will," Mike answered with a nod. "What does it consist of?"

"It consists of ten five hundred dollar bills with the rest being one hundred dollar bills. Is that okay?" Brian asked.

"Yes, it is," Mike said.

"I'll go get it now," Brian commented, jerking his thumb toward the stairs.

Brian raced upstairs with Mike staring after him. Mike slipped his hands inside his pockets. He looked away while licking his lips. Brian came back downstairs with a large yellow envelope containing the money three minutes later.

"Here it is, Mike," Brian announced.

"Thanks, man," Mike replied and took the envelope. "You don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Where are you going?" Brian wondered.

"I'm not sure, but it'll be far away from here," Mike answered honestly and put the envelope under his arm.

"Just be careful, all right?" Brian warned.

"I will. Bye," Mike said with a quiet sigh.

Mike headed out the front door with Brian right behind him. Brian watched him get into his dark blue truck and listened to the engine start up. Mike pulled out of the driveway and drove left. Brian observed him until he was gone. He closed the door. He leaned his back against it, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He couldn't believe he agreed to help Mike evade the police. He hoped his friend would be able to find a good place to hide out.


	6. The Hospital, Telling Jacob, and Driving

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter six of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. There is a small bit of Edward/Bella and Jacob/Leah. On top of that, I can't believe I've gotten thirty reviews. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. Your support means the world to me. A special shoutout goes to Tasha Hill, brankel1, and Ghostwriter for being continuous reviewers. As for other readers, please don't hesitate to review. I really want to hear what you thought of this fic. Stay tuned for chapter seven.

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Chapter 6: The Hospital/Telling Jacob/Driving

The ambulance continued its journey to Forks Hospital four minutes after leaving the Swan residence. Edward watched Alice drive closely through the window. He looked at Bella and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even touching it. Bella winced painfully and squeezed her eyes shut. The EMTs kept a close eye on her.

"It hurts so much," Bella whimpered and opened her eyes.

"It's okay, love. We're nearly to the hospital," Edward whispered soothingly.

Edward bent down and kissed Bella's forehead. He brought his other hand to it to rub it gently after pulling away from her.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Edward wondered.

"Can you call Jacob for me?" Bella answered, sniffling quietly.

"I don't know if—" Edward started hesitantly.

"Please, Edward," Bella pleaded and choked back a sob. "I don't want to keep him in the dark."

Edward sighed heavily and looked away. He didn't want to call Jacob because he feared that the latter would blame him for what happened to Bella. At the same time, he knew Jacob cared for her just as much as he did and that it'd be the right thing to do. He turned back to her.

"I'll call Jacob once we get to the hospital," Edward said.

"Thank you," Bella responded.

"What's his number?" Edward asked.

"If you need a pad, I've got one in my pocket," the first EMT said.

"I've got a pen in mine," the second EMT added.

"I'd like to have them if you don't mind," Edward said.

The EMTs nodded and reached into their pockets to pull out their pad and pen. They gave them to Edward, who glanced at Bella.

"Okay. I'm ready, Bella," Edward said.

"It's 595-6097," Bella replied, blinking twice.

"Got it," Edward said, writing down the numbers.

Edward tore off the paper and folded it to put it in his pocket. He handed the pad and pen back to the EMTs.

"Thanks, guys," Edward commented and ran his hand through his hair.

"You're welcome," the first EMT said.

"It's our pleasure," the second EMT said.

Edward nodded at the EMTs. The ambulance came to a stop in front of the emergency entrance. The EMTs went to the doors to open them. They climbed out and unloaded Bella. They pushed her toward the entrance with Edward walking alongside the stretcher. Alice pulled up and turned off the engine. She exited the car and followed the group into the hospital. They were barely inside when a nurse and a doctor rushed up to them.

"It's about time you got here," the doctor said as he and the nurse walked alongside Bella.

"How is the victim?" the nurse asked.

"Bella is stable, though she's been complaining of pain in her vaginal area," the first EMT explained.

"We have a feeling that Mike was very rough with her," the second EMT commented, licking his lips.

"Poor girl," the doctor said and sighed in a quiet manner.

"Definitely," the nurse agreed.

"My family is on their way. Alice called my father just before the ambulance arrived. I called Charlie to let him know," Edward said.

"Okay. Thanks for telling us," the doctor said.

"We'll take over from here," the nurse answered.

Edward and Alice stopped as the EMTs, the nurse, and the doctor took Bella through the emergency room doors. He grabbed the back of his neck with both hands while she touched her forehead.

"I hope this doesn't take very long," Edward muttered with a heavy sigh. "I want to be back at Bella's side."

"I don't blame you," Alice whispered sympathetically.

"I need to call Jacob," Edward said, reaching into his pocket to pull out the paper and his cellphone.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? The others won't be the least bit happy to see him. I don't think he'll be happy to see us either. On top of that, he could blame you for what happened to Bella," Alice warned seriously.

"I don't care if he does," Edward said and unfolded the paper. "Besides, Bella asked me to call him."

"She did?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. I really don't want to, but I'm willing to do it for her sake," Edward commented.

"All right. Just be prepared for the others' reactions when you tell them," Alice said.

"Don't worry. I will," Edward replied.

"I'm going to park the car," Alice said.

"Okay," Edward said.

Edward proceeded to dial the numbers. Alice headed outside to the car and got inside it. She started it up and drove toward the parking lot.

00000

In the Black residence's living room, Jacob, Leah, Seth, and Embry watched Quil act as if he were a chimpanzee. The first two sat on the couch. The other two were in the armchairs. Quil swept his hands underneath his armpits while chittering softly. He stopped and pretended to pick a stick up off the floor. He started screeching and acting as if he were hitting the coffee table. Jacob, Leah, Seth, and Embry laughed aloud.

"Wow! Quil the chimp is mad!" Jacob shouted in delight.

"Look at him hit the coffee table!" Seth said, crossing his arms.

"He'll be leaving a few marks. That's for sure," Embry commented.

Quil became quiet and still. He pretended to put down his stick and scratched his arm as he let out a quiet chitter. Jacob, Leah, Seth, and Embry applauded him.

"Great job at being a chimp, Quil," Seth said and chuckled lightly.

"Thanks," Quil said with a big smile.

"If you were a real chimp, I bet you could break that coffee table in half by beating it with your fists," Jacob commented. "After all, male chimps are amazingly strong."

"I'll do that as long as Embry does it along with me," Quil said, gesturing toward Embry.

"I don't think so," Embry responded, shaking his head.

"I do think so," Quil said, nodding rapidly.

"While you two argue, I'm going to get some pizza," Jacob said, rising to his feet.

"Me too," Leah added, getting up.

Jacob and Leah headed into the kitchen, where three pizza boxes and a stack of plates lay on the table. The boxes had a logo called Ophelia's Pizza Place on them. He opened the first one, which contained pepperoni pizza. He and Leah grabbed plates and got one slice each. They heard laughter and saw Embry giving Quil a noogie.

"Those two are so silly," Leah said warmly.

"No kidding. They can't get enough of goofing around with each other," Jacob said, taking a bite out of his pizza and chewing it up.

"They goof around with you just as much as they do with each other," Leah commented, eyeing Jacob as he swallowed.

"Yeah, but they usually start it," Jacob pointed out.

Leah chuckled and bit into her pizza. She chewed it up and swallowed it with a loud gulp. Jacob was about to eat more of his when the phone rang. He put his plate down and walked toward it.

"Who could be calling tonight, Jake?" Leah wondered.

"I don't know. I hope it's not one of those prank calls," Jacob said, looking over his shoulder at his friend.

"It could be kids playing on phone," Leah suggested.

"Maybe," Jacob said, turning toward the phone.

Leah ate more of her pizza as Jacob picked up the phone and put it to his ear. She put her plate down before closing the box.

"Hello? Edward, how did you get this number?" Jacob demanded and became alarmed when he heard Edward speak. "What? Oh, no."

Leah looked toward Jacob while swallowing. Quil, Embry, and Seth came into the kitchen. They and Leah listened to Jacob talk to Edward. They saw him run his hand over hair. Jacob hung up the phone and glanced at his friends.

"Bella is at the hospital, guys. She was raped by Mike while spending time with him. Edward and Alice found her at her home on the kitchen floor," Jacob said seriously.

"Oh, no!" Leah said, her voice showing horror.

"Is she all right?" Seth wondered.

"Edward said she was bruised and had a swollen lip and a bump on the head. He also said she was hurting bad in her vaginal area," Jacob explained.

"Oh, my goodness," Quil muttered in shock.

"I don't think I want to know any more right now," Embry said truthfully.

"I'm going to go the hospital and see her once she gets out of the emergency room," Jacob said.

"Are the rest of the Cullens going to be there?" Quil asked.

"It may not be wise for you to go if they are," Embry said.

"Edward said the other Cullens are on their way, but I don't care if they are there or not. Bella is my friend. Any animosity we have toward them isn't important right now. Her health is. I'm going to go wait for her. You're welcome to come with me," Jacob responded.

Leah, Quil, Embry, and Seth watched Jacob head into the living room. They looked at each other with uncertainty. Leah sighed heavily and went toward Jacob as he picked his keys up off the end table. She touched his shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"I'll go with you, Jake," Leah whispered gently.

"Thanks, Lee," Jacob answered.

"We're coming too, Jake," Quil said as he, Embry, and Seth walked up to their friends.

"Bella's our friend too. She deserves to see all of us," Embry said.

"Thanks, guys," Jacob commented.

Seth, Quil, and Embry nodded at Jacob. Embry went to get his keys from the other end table. He returned to the group.

"I'm going to ride with Jake, guys," Leah said, taking a deep breath.

"That's fine, sis. I'd rather ride with Embry," Seth said.

"Me too," Quil added.

"I forgot to say this, but Edward called Charlie to tell him about Bella. He's on his way to the hospital. I suspect Dad and Harry are too," Jacob said, tightening his grip on his keys.

"I'll call Mom once we get there," Leah commented.

"So will I with mine," Embry said.

"The same goes for me with mine," Quil added.

"Okay. We'd better get going. We could be in for a long wait," Jacob suggested.

Jacob, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry rushed out the door. Embry climbed into his dark brown truck, as did Seth and Quil. Jacob locked the door. He and Leah got into his light brown truck. He and Embry started the engines. He pulled out of the driveway and drove right. Embry followed him close behind.

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The two trucks went through the forest six minutes later. Jacob moved his hands down the steering wheel. Leah peered over her shoulder, seeing Embry drive at a short distance through the back window. She turned her attention to the passenger window and watched the trees go by. She clasped her hands together and twirled her thumbs around. She let out a sad sigh before closing her eyes. Jacob eyed her carefully.

"Poor Bella. Not once did I ever think she'd be raped," Leah whispered and opened her eyes.

"Neither did I. Many people say only slutty girls become rape victims, but you and I both know that isn't true," Jacob replied.

"A common rape myth is a woman wearing revealing clothing wants to have sex or is inviting herself to be raped. Neither one is true," Leah added.

"Another rape myth is that the rapist is always a stranger waiting in the dark," Jacob said. "The fact is that most victims knew their attackers."

"I have a feeling Bella will have a tough time dealing with this," Leah said in sadness. "She trusted Mike, but he betrayed her in the worst way possible."

"I know," Jacob agreed. "There's nothing more I'd love do than get my hands on that bastard and slam him against a wall hard enough to make a hole in it."

Jacob hit the wheel with anger and yelled in frustration. Leah formed a sympathetic expression on her face. She was just as angry as Jacob was about the situation. She hoped that Mike would be arrested soon, so he could face justice for what he had done.

"If there's one upside in all this, it's that Edward and Alice found Bella," Jacob said calmly. "If the Cullens hadn't come home early, she wouldn't have been found until tomorrow afternoon."

"I can't imagine her laying on the kitchen floor all night," Leah whispered, her body trembling somewhat.

"I don't even want to think about that," Jacob said with a shake of his head.

"No one would," Leah said and unfolded her hands.

"I can imagine Charlie is feeling a lot of anger toward Mike for what he did. Fathers are well known for being protective of their daughters," Jacob said honestly.

"Daddy's always been that way with me. He once promised if anyone hurt me that he'd hunt them down until he found them," Leah commented, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.

"Dad was quite protective of Rebecca and Rachel when they were kids. He still is, though they don't live with us anymore," Jacob said and moved his hands to the top of the wheel.

"I can see why. He had to fulfill the role of both parents after your mother died in that car accident," Leah pointed out.

"And my sisters filled the role of mother to me. That helped me to recover from the pain. I owe them. I miss them a lot," Jacob added.

"Sometimes, I wish I had a sister instead of a brother. Seth gets on my nerves a lot," Leah grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"I got on Rebecca and Rachel's nerves too," Jacob said and cleared his throat. "That's what younger siblings do to their older siblings. It's nothing unusual."

Leah shrugged her shoulders and crossed her left ankle over her right one. Jacob looked at her closely. He saw her turn to him.

"I'll tell you this, Leah. If someone ever hurts you, I'll join your father in helping him hunt them down until we find them," Jacob said in determination.

"You'd do that for me?" Leah asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Jacob admitted while nodding. "So would the rest of the guys. We wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting you."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me," Leah said.

Jacob reached over and patted Leah's shoulder very gently. He gave it a gentle rub and felt her put her hand over his. He saw her pull it away and returned his to the wheel. They shifted their attention toward the road.

"I have to admit that I'm not really looking forward to seeing the Cullens," Leah murmured.

"Neither am I, but I don't care about that right now. Bella's health is much more important to me than our animosity toward them," Jacob commented.

"I'm sure she'll be subjected to a rape kit, though we already know Mike raped her," Leah said.

"It's standard procedure for the police. There's always a chance he may have raped other girls," Jacob said in seriousness.

"That's true," Leah agreed. "We'll probably be subjected to questioning as well."

"The same goes for our friends. We will do what we can to assist in the investigation," Jacob declared.

Leah nodded at Jacob, seeing him slide his hands down the wheel. Both trucks passed a bobcat sniffing the ground on their right.


	7. Feeling Tension and Anger

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter seven of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. I made changes to chapter four, five, and six. I added details about Bella having a bump on her head from where Mike hit it on the doorway. Stay tuned for chapter eight.

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Chapter 7: Feeling Tension and Anger

Edward sat on the first of two couches in the waiting room seven minutes later. He had his hands folded and his arms laying on his legs. He was leaned forward. He closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. Alice was seated next to him. She rubbed his back very gently. She brought her other hand to his shoulder. She saw him open his eyes.

"I wish I could be with Bella in the ER, Alice. She has to be feeling uncomfortable with being examined," Edward mumbled, swallowing hard.

"I'm sure she is, but the doctors do need to gather evidence for the police," Alice said. "They can't be disturbed while doing that."

"This is my fault," Edward muttered seriously.

"No, it's not, Edward," Alice said.

"Yes, it is! If I had been here, this wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't be here right now," Edward growled angrily. "Mike's thoughts about her have never been pure! I've told you and the others that many times!"

"We may be vampires, but we can't protect Bella from everything," Alice said, seeing her brother look at her. "We had to go hunting and took the opportunity while we could. There's nothing any of us could've done to prevent this whole situation."

Edward emitted an angry growl and balled his hand into a fist. He clenched his teeth and pressed it into the cushion beside him.

"I hate Mike right now. I want to rip his throat out when I get my hands on him," Edward hissed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Emmett wants to do the same," Alice commented. "However, getting revenge on someone isn't you, Edward. It isn't any of us. Of course, Rosalie killed Royce and his friends out of revenge for beating and raping her. That was a long time ago, though. She vowed to never do that again."

"That still doesn't change how I feel about Mike," Edward declared.

"I understand, but you can't let that hate control you," Alice whispered and took her hands away from Edward to lay them in her lap. "You'll turn into someone Bella doesn't recognize. You'll lose her. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, I don't," Edward muttered, grabbing a fistful of hair. "Still, I just—"

"I know," Alice said soothingly. "Just focus on seeing Bella after she gets out of the ER, all right?"

"Okay," Edward answered.

Alice nodded at Edward, who moved his hand to the back of his neck. They heard footfalls approaching and looked up to see Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper coming into view through the window. They stood up as the group came in.

"Guys," Alice said.

"How's Bella?" Esme asked worryingly.

"She's being examined in the ER at the moment. She was complaining of pain in her vaginal area while we were on our way to the hospital," Edward explained.

"We haven't heard anything else," Alice added.

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie looked at each other. Edward ran his hand through his hair before placing it on his side.

"I called Jacob and informed him of what happened. He's on his way here," Edward said.

"What?" Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie yelled in surprise.

"You actually told Jacob about this?" Emmett said.

"Are you really sure that was a good idea?" Jasper wondered. "That guy isn't fond of us in the least bit."

"Nor are his friends," Rosalie added and scoffed to herself.

"Bella wanted me to call Jacob. I couldn't deny her that," Edward responded. "He's her friend."

"Well, don't expect me to welcome him or any of his friends with open arms," Rosalie retorted in some irritation.

"Nobody is expecting you to, Rosalie," Edward said.

Rosalie waved Edward off while looking away. Edward rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

"Though I'm not thrilled that Jacob is coming here, I'm willing to grin and bear it," Emmett said.

"So am I," Jasper said calmly.

"You can count me in on that," Alice said with pride.

"The same goes for me," Carlisle added.

"Don't forget me," Esme said.

Edward nodded at Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, and Emmett. Carlisle looked toward the doorway, seeing a nurse go past it. He shifted his attention to his family.

"I'm going to see if I can assist with Bella," Carlisle said.

"Okay," Esme replied.

Edward, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie watched Carlisle walk out of the room and down the hallway. They glanced at each other. Emmett grabbed his hair with both hands. He allowed a heavy sigh to leave his mouth.

"This situation isn't what I was expecting to come home to," Emmett muttered.

"None of us were, Emmett," Esme said and crossed her arms. "I hope we can see Bella very soon."

"I can only imagine how scared she must've been when Mike was raping her," Jasper commented.

"I'll tear him limb from limb when I get my hands on him," Emmett growled in much anger and curled his hands into fists.

"I hope you'll let me help you with that," Rosalie added eagerly as she glanced at her husband.

"Be my guest," Emmett replied, turning to his wife.

Rosalie winked at Emmett. Alice sighed to herself and walked toward them. She crossed her arms as they looked at her.

"I understand you both want to kill Mike, but that won't solve anything. It'll just make things worse," Alice pointed out.

"That bastard needs to pay for what he did to our sister, Alice," Emmett retorted.

"She didn't deserve to be raped," Rosalie yelled angrily.

"The best way for us to deal with this is to be there for Bella. She'd rather us be here with her than pursuing Mike. That's the police's job, not ours," Alice said seriously.

"But he could be anywhere by the time the police get a lead on him," Emmett said in alarm.

"We don't have a choice. We can't risk losing control if we were to go after him ourselves. On top of that, killing out of vengeance is something we don't do, even if the desire to do so is great," Esme said.

"Esme's right. As much as I want to kill Mike, I don't want to turn into someone that Bella doesn't recognize. I'd lose her if I did. She is everything to me. I can't live without her," Edward said solemnly.

Emmett and Rosalie sighed heavily and nodded at Edward and Esme. Though they didn't like the idea of standing around, they were willing to be there for Bella. They started to calm down.

"I hope the police arrest Mike soon. He needs to face justice for what he has done," Emmett said.

"We feel the same way as you do, Emmett," Jasper said quietly.

"I have little doubt that Charlie is feeling a great deal of anger toward Mike over what he did. He trusted him to be her friend, but the bastard betrayed that trust by raping her," Alice said.

"Nothing will make me feel more satisfied than seeing him behind bars," Edward said in much determination.

"I probably want that more than anyone. Bella is lucky. Back in the old days, women were ridiculed and shunned for losing their virginity before marriage. Rape victims weren't spared. Royce and his friends wouldn't have been arrested for raping me. In fact, people would've brushed it off and say they just couldn't control themselves," Rosalie whispered in sadness.

"People still use the excuse that men can't control themselves when they cheat on their women today," Emmett commented truthfully.

"It's disgusting," Rosalie said with an angry hiss.

Edward, Esme Jasper, Alice, and Emmett voiced their agreement at Rosalie's comment. They began another conversation.

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In the ER, Bella lay on her back on a bed as thirty-six-year-old Vanessa Bracker swabbed her vaginal area while sitting on a stool. She wore a white hospital gown. Her legs were spread apart, and her knees were bent. A sheet covered her lower body and was folded up to her knees. Forty-year-old Ryan Meeker stood nearby Vanessa. He held the rape kit in his hands. The group was surrounded by a curtain.

Vanessa took slow yet even breaths as she moved the swab downward. Being Caucasian, she was tall for a woman. She had long raven black hair that was tied up in a bun with a few strands hanging. Her eyes were dark blue, and she was dressed in a light blue uniform, white socks, and white sneakers. She was somewhat heavyset.

Ryan glanced at Bella for a moment before turning back to Vanessa. As an African-American, he was tall with a muscular frame. He had no hair on his head, and his eyes were light brown. He donned a white overcoat, a white long-sleeved shirt, dark gray pants, dark gray socks, and raven black tennis shoes. A stethoscope hung around his neck. He watched Vanessa look up and take out a piece of gauze and a tube.

"Okay. That should be enough for the police to look at," Vanessa said and covered the swab's tip with the gauze before placing it inside the tube.

"Thanks, Vanessa," Ryan said and put the tube inside the kit next to two others.

Bella put her legs down on the bed. Vanessa pulled the sheet down, covering them. Ryan closed the kit and laid it on a small table behind him, where a chart laid. He watched Vanessa stand up and come to his side. They gazed down at Bella.

"Thank God that's over," Bella whispered, letting out a soft sniffle.

"It's never easy for any of us to do a rape kit, but we do what we have to do to aid the police," Vanessa responded gently.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with this tonight," Bella mumbled, putting her hand over her face and beginning to cry.

"Don't be, Bella," Ryan said comfortingly. "You did nothing to cause this."

"If anyone is to blame, it's Mike," Vanessa added and made a disgusted face. "That guy should be shot on sight for what he did to you."

"Don't talk like that in front of Bella, Vanessa," Ryan scolded.

"Why not? He deserves it," Vanessa said fiercely.

"Maybe he does according to you, but Bella may not think the same way," Ryan pointed out. "Besides, anyone thinking about vengeance makes me uncomfortable."

"Sorry if I can't help it. I'm just so mad about this whole situation," Vanessa growled and allowed a scoff to come out of her mouth.

"We all are," Ryan admitted.

Vanessa cupped her chin in her hand. Bella removed hers from her face. Just then, the curtain opened in which it revealed Carlisle. Bella, Ryan, and Vanessa glanced at him, showing surprise.

"Carlisle," Vanessa said.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan wondered.

"I wanted to offer my assistance," Carlisle answered.

"We just finished up the examination," Ryan said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the kit. "Everything is ready to go for the police."

"How's the patient?" Carlisle asked.

"She's all right. We gave her medication to dull the pain in her vaginal area. It's torn up, but it will heal. She has bruises all over her thighs and arms. She's not showing any signs of a concussion, in spite of the bump on her head," Vanessa explained, going over to pick up the chart and give it to Carlisle.

Carlisle looked over the chart and returned it to Vanessa. Ryan straightened his stethoscope before putting his hands behind his back.

"Would you mind if I had a moment alone with Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Not at all," Ryan responded.

"We'll be in the hallway," Vanessa commented.

Carlisle watched Ryan and Vanessa go outside the curtain. He listened to their departing footfalls until they faded. He closed the curtain. He turned to Bella and walked to her side. He took her hand into his.

"It's good to see you, Bella, though I wish it were under much better circumstances," Carlisle said.

"So do I with you," Bella admitted, tears forming in her eyes. "I feel so dirty."

"That's not unusual with rape victims," Carlisle said truthfully.

"Oh, God. I don't even want to think about what the townspeople will say about me when word of this gets out," Bella mumbled in great fear.

"Since this is a small town, word will get out quickly," Carlisle said, shaking his head.

Bella closed her eyes, taking slow yet even breaths. The tears fell from them, some merging with each other.

"I want to see my dad so badly," Bella whispered and opened her eyes.

"He'll be here soon. Jacob is on his way too," Carlisle said, his voice filled with comfort.

"I'm sure you and the others aren't exactly happy about Jacob coming," Bella muttered.

"We aren't thrilled, but we'll deal with it," Carlisle replied.

"Mike took my virginity from me. I was meant to lose it to Edward," Bella cried, her body trembling somewhat.

"Things don't always go the way we plan, but I can tell you this. Edward wouldn't have cared if you were a virgin or not. He loves you. That's far more important than wondering if a person still has their virginity," Carlisle said.

"I can see that. Still, I wish—" Bella started.

"I know. It's okay," Carlisle assured.

Carlisle ran his other hand over Bella's hair. He stroked the back of hers with his thumb so lightly that it seemed he wasn't even touching it.

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Ryan and Vanessa stood close to the ER doors. They watched two doctors walk past them and turn the corner at the end of the hallway. Vanessa crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She began pacing back and forth. She looked at her watch, letting out an impatient sigh. Ryan slipped his hands inside his pockets while exhaling slowly.

"When is Carlisle going to be done talking to Bella? I need to know if we should admit her or not," Vanessa complained.

"He'll be finished soon. Don't worry," Ryan answered.

"I know he cares for her, but that doesn't mean he should take so much time," Vanessa said, ceasing her pacing.

"You need to lay off him. He hasn't seen her all week. This was his chance to speak with her," Ryan scolded.

"Yeah, but—" Vanessa started.

"No buts, Vanessa," Ryan interrupted sharply and pointed his finger at the nurse. "Don't you even think of going in there and interrupting them."

Vanessa held up her hands while looking away. Ryan rolled his eyes and allowed a quiet scoff to come out of his mouth.

"You're impossible, Vanessa. You know that?" Ryan grumbled and took his hand out of his pockets.

"So are you," Vanessa whispered.

"What was that?" Ryan demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Vanessa said, licking her lips.

Ryan sighed in some annoyance. Just then, Carlisle walked through the doors. He stopped before his friends.

"I have to tell you, guys. I've never seen Bella so exhausted," Carlisle said in concern. "She's always been an energetic girl."

"Being brutalized can take a lot out of anyone. That's for sure," Ryan said.

"No kidding," Vanessa agreed.

"I feel it's best if she is kept overnight to be safe. She may not be showing any signs of a concussion right now, but that could change," Carlisle commented.

"Okay," Vanessa said and cleared her throat.

"We'll get her ready for a room," Ryan added.

"I'm going to let my family know," Carlisle commented and ran his fingers through his hair.

Ryan and Vanessa nodded at Carlisle. They watched him head down the hallway toward the waiting room. They went into the emergency room to prep Bella for admission.


	8. The Quileutes Arrive and Seeing Bella

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter eight of "Into the Shadows." I didn't mean to take more than a week to get it out. I had a bit of writer's block. This chapter has some Edward/Bella and Jasper/Alice. Stay tuned for chapter nine.

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Chapter 8: The Quileutes Arrive/Seeing Bella

The Cullens sat in the waiting room nine minutes after Carlisle revealed that Bella would be admitted. Carlisle and Esme were on the first couch. Jasper, Alice, and Edward were on the second. Emmett and Rosalie were in chairs across from the others. Edward looked at his watch and sighed impatiently. He grabbed a fistful of hair.

"When will the doctors come and tell us where Bella's room is? I want to see her," Edward muttered.

"Be patient, Edward. They have to make sure the room is in proper order," Alice said gently.

"Not to mention that it needs to be clean," Jasper added.

"I understand that, but I just want to see her so badly," Edward whispered, sighing heavily. "I feel like I can't be away from her any longer."

"We know, Edward. Just hang in there, all right?" Alice asked.

"Okay," Edward answered, nodding slowly.

Alice patted Edward's shoulder before rubbing it. Emmett leaned forward somewhat, as did Rosalie.

"I have no doubt we'll be subjected to questioning by the police," Emmett said.

"What do we have to hide? Our alibi is solid. We were coming home from our camping trip when the rape happened," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

"It's standard procedure, Rose. It's nothing personal," Esme pointed out.

"The police just want to make sure we aren't lying about our whereabouts at the time of the crime," Carlisle commented, clasping his hands together.

"We can't exactly say, 'Hey, we were out feeding on animal blood. What else would you like to hear?'" Emmett said.

"You're right, Emmett," Rosalie responded. "They wouldn't believe us, anyway."

"Vampires feeding on animal blood. What human could fathom such a thing?" Alice wondered, holding up her hands.

"I wouldn't if I wasn't one," Edward admitted.

"None of us would if we weren't vampires ourselves, Edward," Carlisle said honestly. "After all, humans believe vampires would only drink their blood according to the ancient legends."

"They also believe that vampires can be harmed by holy water, wooden stakes, sunlight, and garlic," Rosalie said.

"Who came up with the idea that garlic can harm vampires?" Emmett asked, scoffing in annoyance. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Beats me," Rosalie said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Edward looked toward the window and saw a nurse walk by. The nurse turned to him and winked at him. Edward cringed and returned his attention to his family.

"Another nurse just winked at me. That's the third nurse I've seen do that. Her thoughts about me weren't exactly nice like the other two were," Edward grumbled.

"Don't blame her, Edward. She was just checking you out because you're very attractive," Alice assured.

"With looks like yours, what woman can resist taking a peek at you?" Emmett asked.

"On top of that, she wouldn't date Edward. She has to be at least in her late twenties or early thirties. Women her age usually don't go for the younger men. They go for the older ones," Rosalie said.

"The ones who have lots of money," Alice added, holding up a finger.

"She's a nurse. She already makes a good amount of money. Why would she want more?" Jasper wondered.

"Some women are never satisfied, no matter how much money they have, Jasper. They always want more," Alice said bluntly.

"They'll resort to any means to get money, including murder. The police call them black widows," Emmett said, propping his head up with his elbow.

"Don't forget men who murder women for money. They're referred to as black widowers," Alice said.

"Of course," Emmett responded.

The Cullens heard footfalls approaching and saw Jacob, Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil coming into view through the window. They stood up as the group walked into the room and stopped before them.

"Jacob, you're finally here," Edward said in relief.

"And you did bring your friends along for the ride. How nice," Rosalie said sarcastically.

"Don't start, Blondie," Jacob retorted with a hiss.

"Now's not the time for sarcasm," Leah growled.

"Ooh. You're backing him up. Are you his girlfriend?" Rosalie asked, a light chuckle coming out of her mouth.

"No, but he is my friend. Of course, I'll back him up whenever he needs it," Leah answered, eyeing Jacob.

"How sweet. Judging by the rest of your company, you seem to be a bit of a tomboy," Rosalie said, gesturing toward Seth, Embry, and Quil.

"Yes, she is a tomboy. Do you have a problem with that?" Jacob demanded, taking deep breaths to keep calm.

"Not at all. In fact, it's probably better she's a tomboy. She looks quite suited for that," Rosalie said.

"And you're much more suited to be a girl," Leah said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Rosalie answered, smirking widely.

Jacob and Leah rolled their eyes and mumbled inaudible words. Seth, Quil, and Embry looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Jacob cleared his throat as he stepped forward.

"So, what's going on with Bella right now?" Jacob asked.

"I went to the ER to provide my assistance. Ryan and Vanessa were just finishing up on the rape kit when I arrived. They told me Bella had many bruises on her arms and legs. Her vaginal area was torn up, but it will heal. She was given medication for the pain. I asked them it was best to admit her for overnight observation due to concussion concerns. A room is being prepared for her at the moment," Carlisle explained.

"Thank you. I appreciate you telling us that," Jacob said quietly while eyeing his friends.

"No problem," Carlisle replied with a nod.

Jacob turned his attention to Edward. He saw him slip his hands into his pockets as he approached him.

"Edward, thank you for letting me know about Bella. You don't know how much that means to me," Jacob said.

"You're welcome, Jacob. You deserve to see her," Edward replied calmly.

"I guess I should introduce my friends. This is Leah Clearwater. That's her little brother, Seth. Those two are Embry Call and Quil Ateara," Jacob introduced, motioning to each of his friends.

"Hi," Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil said.

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Carlisle. This is Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. You know Edward," Carlisle said, gesturing to each of his family members.

"It's nice to meet you too. I don't know what the fuss is about you on the reservation. You guys don't seem bad at all," Seth said, scoffing to himself.

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is we all care about Bella and want to help her through this. It's going to be a tough road ahead for her," Esme said, her voice showing much seriousness.

"It sure will," Leah whispered, letting out a heavy sigh. "Some rape victims never recover from their ordeal. I hope that doesn't happen to Bella."

"All of us feel the same way as you do, Leah," Carlisle commented.

Leah cupped her chin in her hand. Everyone heard footfalls approaching and spotted Ryan and Vanessa coming into view through the window. The doctor and nurse came into the room and stopped before the group.

"Ryan, Vanessa," Carlisle said.

"We came to let you know that Bella is in her room now," Ryan said.

"That's good. What's the room number?" Edward asked, furrowing his brow.

"It's 305," Vanessa answered, folding her hands.

"Thank you," Carlisle said. "We're going to see Bella now."

"Before I see Bella, I need to call my mom and let her know that Seth and I are at the hospital," Leah said, jerking her thumb in the direction of the door.

"I need to call my mom too," Quil commented.

"So do I with mine," Embry added.

"All right. You can join us after you're done," Carlisle responded, exhaling slowly.

"Okay," Embry said while nodding.

Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Jacob, and Seth walked out of the room and headed for the elevator. Leah went to the pay phone located close to the door, followed by Quil and Embry. She picked up the phone and reached into her pocket to pull out a quarter. She inserted it and proceeded to dial her number as Ryan and Vanessa passed her and her friends.

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Bella lay on her back on the first of two beds in Room 305. She was inclined to where she was sitting up. She stared at the heart monitor that was to the right of her. She listened to its steady beeping. She looked down at her right hand and touched the area where the needle was inserted very lightly. Approaching footfalls caught her attention, and she turned toward the window to see Edward appear. She watched the door open with a slight squeak. Edward, Jacob, Seth, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie walked in. The first three went to her left while the other six headed for her right.

"Edward, I'm so glad to see you," Bella whispered and held up her hand to allow her boyfriend to take it into his.

"So am I with you, Bella," Edward said and planted a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead. "It was torture waiting for you."

"It felt that way to me as well when I was waiting for you," Bella responded, shuddering somewhat. "At least you're here now."

"Yeah," Edward commented.

Edward ran his hand over Bella's hair after letting go of hers. He stroked her cheek with the back of it. Bella brought up hers to hold it again. She glanced at Jacob and Seth, who formed sympathetic expressions on their faces.

"Jacob, Seth, it's good you to see you two," Bella said, swallowing hard.

"You too, Bella. I wish it were under much better circumstances," Jacob said, sitting on the bed.

"I do too. It sucks you have to be here," Seth muttered.

"I don't want to be here, but it's best not to ignore the advice of a doctor," Bella said, peering at Carlisle out of the corner of her eye.

"That's true," Seth agreed. "By the way, I'm not the only one who came. Leah, Quil, and Embry came too."

"They did?" Bella asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. They're calling their moms to let them know they're here. They don't want them to be worried," Jacob explained.

"Oh, God. Mom is going to go crazy when she learns about this," Bella whispered fearfully. "She'll—"

"Hey, calm down, Bells. We'll worry about that later. We should focus on this visit right now, okay?" Jacob said tenderly.

"Okay," Bella answered.

"That's my Bells," Jacob said, smiling lightly.

Bella wiped a tear from her eye as it formed. She laid her hand on her stomach, taking slow yet even breaths. She glanced at Edward.

"Edward, thanks for calling Jacob. I really appreciate it," Bella said, sniffling quietly.

"You're welcome, Bella. I'll do anything for you," Edward responded lovingly.

Bella patted Edward's hand in a gentle manner. She looked over at Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie.

"It's good to see all of you," Bella said, letting out a small yawn.

"We really missed you, Bella, though we weren't expecting to come home to this at all," Esme said, looking around the room.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I never meant for it to happen," Bella said, sobs coming up in her throat.

"Bella, it's okay," Jasper said soothingly. "You're not at fault here. Mike is."

"You did nothing to deserve this," Rosalie said calmly yet firmly.

"I'm surprised to hear that from you, Rosalie. You're not exactly fond of me," Bella said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I may not be, but that doesn't mean I wanted this to happen to you," Rosalie commented honestly. "That would've made me no better than Mike."

"Thanks, Rosalie. I appreciate that," Bella said and glanced at Jacob and Seth in the corner of her eye. "I also appreciate you tolerating being around those two."

"I really don't want to be in their presence or that of their friends, but I'll deal with it for your sake," Rosalie responded.

"Thank you," Bella commented.

Rosalie gave Bella a nod before looking toward Jacob and Seth, who ignored her completely. Emmett crossed his arms as Bella moved her hand to her lap.

"I hope my dad will be here very soon. I'm aching to see him," Bella whimpered and cried softly.

"He'll be here, Bella. Don't worry," Carlisle assured.

"I have no doubt he'll be relieved to know that you're not in the ER right now," Emmett added.

"Thank God it wasn't busy at all tonight," Bella murmured in relief. "I would've been waiting in there for hours if it was."

"Everyone knows the ER isn't pleasant at all," Alice commented.

"Some people use it for minor things such as cuts and bruises. That wastes the doctors' time when they could be tending to real emergencies," Emmett grumbled, scoffing in irritation.

"I know. Unfortunately, I don't think they care in the least bit. They believe they have the right to use the ER for anything," Carlisle said, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth.

"I wouldn't be surprised if those people don't think rules apply to them," Jasper pointed out.

"You said it, Jasper," Alice agreed.

Jasper put his arm around Alice, giving her a small hug. Bella gazed up at the ceiling for a long moment before focusing her attention on the group.

"Never did I ever think I'd end up in this situation. It isn't supposed to happen in a small town such as this," Bella commented sadly.

"Townspeople always say that when a horrible crime such as rape happens," Esme said. "Of course, it isn't true. It can happen anywhere and anytime. Nobody is immune."

"I won't be surprised if I end up being the talk of the town for a long while," Bella mumbled, grimacing somewhat. "I'm not looking forward to that at all."

"We'll worry about that later, Bells," Jacob said, seeing Bella look at him. "I can tell you this. We'll always be on your side, no matter what happens."

"We'll never abandon you. You can always count on us," Seth added.

"Thank you," Bella responded.

Seth winked at Bella, getting a nod from her. Edward proceeded to speak to her once more. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, and Seth listened closely.


	9. Father and Daughter Reunited

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter nine of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just a week to get out. I changed Rosalie's comments to where she says to her family that they shouldn't expect her to welcome the Quileutes with open arms in chapter seven. I also added her showing eagerness in helping Emmett kill Mike in revenge over Bella's rape. I took out Mike's comment about leaving Port Angeles on a bus in chapter five. I realized he wouldn't risk being seen in public so soon. Stay tuned for chapter ten.

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Chapter 9: Father and Daughter Reunited

Embry spoke with his mother, Tiffany, on the phone five minutes later. Quil and Leah stood to the right of him a short distance away. They had their backs leaning against the wall and their hands folded in front of them. They watched two doctors walk past them and go around the corner. They turned to Embry as he hung up the phone. Embry walked to them, clicking his tongue.

"Mom sends her condolences to Bella," Embry said, exhaling slowly.

"That's good. We're so lucky to have supportive moms like ours," Quil said.

"My mom may have expressed sympathy for Bella's situation, but that doesn't mean she's going to let up on her criticism of my tomboyish ways," Leah grumbled in frustration.

"Who cares what she thinks, Leah? You're fine just the way you are," Quil said sympathetically.

"Not to mention you're as gorgeous as hell," Embry added.

"Sam was lucky to have you. He didn't care that you were a tomboy in the least bit. He thought you were gorgeous too," Quil commented, crossing his arms and blinking three times.

"Yes, but he has Emily now. Mom wants me to be feminine like her and always compares me to her," Leah muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Emily and Daddy have told her to stop it, but she refuses to listen."

Leah ran her hands through hair and grabbed fistfuls of it. She released her hold on it and put her arms at her sides. She balled her hands into fists and let out a soft sniffle as a tear formed in her eye and slid down her cheek. Embry and Quil stepped closer to her.

"At least Emily and your dad have stuck up for you. That counts as something," Quil said.

"She's not the only one on your side. We are too," Embry said, reaching out to touch Leah's arm.

"So are Jacob, Seth, and Bella. You have lots of people behind you," Quil added.

"We'll never turn our backs on you," Embry assured.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate that," Leah said and let out a small sigh.

"No problem," Quil responded gently. "We'll do anything for a friend."

"Speaking of Bella, I'm sure she's wondering where we are," Leah said, holding up a finger.

"Why don't we go see her then?" Embry suggested.

"Good idea," Quil answered.

Leah, Quil, and Embry were about to head for the elevators when approaching footfalls got their attention. They looked to their left to see Charlie heading their way. Harry and Billy were close behind him. The teens approached the men. Leah went to her father to hug him.

"It's good to see you, Daddy," Leah whispered.

"It's good to see you too, Lee," Harry replied and pulled back to look at his daughter. "I wish we didn't have to reunite like this."

"I know. It's awful," Leah mumbled.

"Where's Bella? Is she okay?" Charlie asked, his voice full of worry.

"She's been admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay. Dr. Cullen said there was concern that she could start showing signs of a concussion because of the bump on her head. He also said that she was bruised on her arms and legs. Her vaginal area was badly torn, but it will heal," Embry explained and placed his hands on his sides.

"Thank goodness Bella wasn't hurt any worse than she was," Billy said in relief. "I can't blame the doctors for keeping her overnight. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"You got that right," Leah agreed.

"Where is Bella's room, guys?" Charlie wondered.

"It's Room 305. Jacob, Seth, and the Cullens went on ahead while we called our mothers to let them know we were here," Quil said.

"Okay. Let's go see her," Charlie said.

Leah, Quil, Embry, Charlie, Billy, and Harry walked toward the elevators. They stopped at the first of two. Charlie pressed the up button. He and the others looked up to see the four light up. He clenched his teeth while balling his hands into fists.

"Not once did I think I'd ever find myself in this situation," Charlie grumbled angrily. "I trusted Mike to be Bella's friend, and he repaid me by raping her!"

"No father thinks his daughter will ever be raped. In some cases, he believes she is immune to it," Harry commented.

"All of us know that isn't the case," Billy said, folding his hands and laying them in his lap.

"I should've been there. If I had, then this wouldn't have happened," Charlie whispered guiltily.

"It's not your fault, Charlie. There's nothing you or any of us could've done to prevent this. It was out of our hands," Harry said comfortingly.

"We can only do so much to protect our children," Billy said. "Something bad happens to them eventually."

"All we can do now is help Bella through this," Harry commented.

"I'll tell you this right now," Charlie growled. "I hate that bastard for what he did to my daughter. I want to slam him against a wall repeatedly until he's out cold."

Charlie punched the wall in frustration, which made everyone tense up. He looked down and took slow yet even breaths to calm himself. He returned his attention to the group as the three lit up.

"I'm sorry. I just needed to get that out," Charlie muttered, putting his hand over his face.

"It's all right, Charlie. Nobody blames you for being so angry," Harry said with much sympathy.

"Let's not worry about that right now. Let's focus on seeing Bella, all right?" Billy suggested calmly.

"Okay," Charlie whispered and put his hand at his side.

Charlie, Billy, and Harry turned their attention to the elevator. The two lit up, followed by the one. The elevator doors opened up with a loud ding. Leah walked in and pressed the door open button to allow Quil, Embry, Charlie, Billy, and Harry to enter. She let go of it to press three as the doors closed. The elevator proceeded to go to the third floor.

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Bella listened as Emmett told her about a cougar hunting a deer he and Rosalie were watching from a distance while they were to the right of her. Edward sat beside her on the bed while holding her hand. Jacob and Seth were seated on the second bed. Carlisle and Esme stood to the left of them. Jasper and Alice were in chairs across from Bella's bed.

"The deer had no idea that the cougar was hunting it. The cougar set itself up for the pounce. It leapt at the deer and silenced it with a bite to the throat before it could react," Emmett said.

"The deer was young too. It looked to be no more than a year old," Rosalie added.

"It's nice you got to see all that," Bella said, breathing deeply.

"Yes, it was," Emmett agreed. "It's not every day you get to see a cougar hunting a deer."

"Or any other predator hunting its prey," Jacob said and crossed his arms as the others looked at him.

"Some people think that the world would be filled with fat and happy herbivores if there were no carnivores," Seth said, rolling his eyes. "That's a bunch of hogwash, and they know it."

"The world's ecosystems would collapse completely if there were only herbivores. Carnivores keep them in check," Carlisle commented.

"At least herbivores don't have to move far because their food is in one place. Carnivores have to keep in motion because their food is always moving," Esme pointed out.

Everyone nodded in agreement at Esme's comments. Approaching footfalls caused the entire group to look toward the door. Charlie came into view through the window and opened it. He walked in with Harry, Billy, Leah, Quil, and Embry right behind him. Bella choked back a sob.

"Dad, you're finally here!" Bella cried, her voice showing much relief.

"Chief Swan, we're glad to see you," Edward said as he let go of his girlfriend's hand and stood up. "Bella's been aching for your arrival."

"That's good to hear," Charlie said, coming to Edward's side. "Thanks for letting me know and keeping her company."

"You're welcome," Edward responded quietly.

Edward stepped aside to allow Charlie to come closer to Bella and sit beside her on the bed. Bella felt tears form in her eyes and slide down her cheeks. Charlie gave her a sympathetic look.

"Bells, there's no need to cry," Charlie whispered gently and took his daughter's hand into his. "I'm here. I'm not going away."

"I know. I'm just sorry you had to see me like this. I never wanted this to happen," Bella mumbled, starting to cry.

"Bella, you have nothing to be sorry for," Charlie responded in a calm yet firm voice. "This was all Mike's doing."

"You're lucky to be alive," Billy said, coming to his best friend's side along with Harry, Embry, Quil, and Leah. "Many rape victims are murdered, so they can't identify their attackers."

"He's right. Some rapists want their victims to suffer through the pain and humiliation. They enjoy it," Harry added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Mike was enjoying your pain while he was raping you," Leah said in a blunt manner.

"He was. If you could've seen the look in his eyes, you would've seen nothing but evil," Bella muttered in fear. "He even told me he did me three times while I was out."

"What a sick bastard," Quil said in much anger.

"That guy needs to pay for what he did to you," Embry said.

"Big time," Leah added in determination.

Bella wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She shuddered a bit and sniffled loudly. She took slow yet steady breaths.

"Guys, would you mind leaving? I'd like to spend some time alone with my father," Bella said.

"Not at all, Bella," Edward answered.

"We'll be outside," Alice said as she, Jasper, Jacob, and Seth rose from their seats.

"Let us know when you want us to come back in," Jasper added.

Edward went to the door and opened it. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Billy, Harry, Jacob, Seth, Leah, Quil, and Embry walked out of the room. Edward followed them, closing the door behind him. Charlie glanced at it for a long moment before turning back to Bella.

"You're lucky to have so many good friends," Charlie said honestly.

"Yeah. I guess I am," Bella replied. "How did your fishing trip go?"

"It went very well. We caught many fish. Harry was eager to fry up some for his family when he got home and wanted us, Billy, and Jacob to join him," Charlie explained.

"Unfortunately, those plans were canceled because of me," Bella muttered sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize, Bells," Charlie answered quietly. "That fish fry can wait another day. You are more important to us."

"I'm glad to hear that," Bella said.

Charlie rubbed Bella's hand very gently. He gave it a light pat before shifting his position on the bed somewhat.

"I'm glad the Quileutes were able to be in the same room as the Cullens. They have never been fond of each other at all. A few years before you came here, some of the boys in La Push boycotted the hospital because Carlisle was working there," Charlie commented.

"They did?" Bella said in surprise.

"Yeah," Charlie admitted. "I couldn't understand it because the Cullens' quiet presence was very pleasant. They had never caused any trouble. A rift formed between Billy and me. It lasted a good while."

"I never knew that," Bella whispered, raising her eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm. The rift is gone now. Billy rarely speaks about the Cullens nowadays," Charlie said, rubbing his nose. "He and Harry decided to accompany me to the hospital, though they knew the Cullens would likely be there. Their presence didn't matter to them anymore. Only your situation did."

"That's good," Bella said, sighing in relief.

Charlie released his hold on Bella's hand to touch the top of her forehead and caress it with his thumb. Bella closed her eyes for a long moment. She looked at her father once more.

"You won't believe this, but Billy paid Jacob twenty bucks to tell me to break up with Edward at the prom," Bella said.

"Oh, really?" Charlie said, appearing surprised.

"Yes," Bella said, nodding slowly. "Jacob told me that Billy said, 'We'll be watching you.' I thought that was so weird, but I forgot about it."

"Talk about strange things happening in this small town," Charlie said, cupping his chin in his hand. "Then again, anything can happen just about anywhere."

"Like rape. I can hear the townspeople saying it just doesn't happen here," Bella whispered, biting her lip.

"But it does," Charlie said, clearing his throat. "People get lured into a false sense of security when horrific crimes don't happen for a very long time. They start to think it can't happen to them. Suddenly, something bad does happen. They realize they aren't immune."

"I know. I'm sure some parents will be freaking out and not allow their teen daughters to go out unless they are part of a group," Bella said.

"I wouldn't blame them if they did that," Charlie admitted. "I have a feeling that people will be talking about this for a long time to come."

"I know. I'm not going to like that in the least bit," Bella mumbled in a bit of fear.

"If we hear them talking about it, we'll just ignore them. They aren't important. How we deal with this is," Charlie said comfortingly.

Bella nodded in agreement at her father's comments. She felt him take her hand into his once more. Her body started to tremble.

"You're going to tell Mom about this, aren't you?" Bella asked seriously. "She's going to freak out. I just know it."

"I am going to tell her but not right now," Charlie answered tenderly.

"And Mike's parents. How are they going to react when they learn their son raped me? Are they going to turn on me and blame me for it? What about Jessica and Angela? Are they going to accuse me of lying about Mike because they are friends with him? Jessica also dated him for a time," Bella muttered, a sob coming up in her throat.

"Calm down, Bells," Charlie said in a quiet manner. "I don't know how they are going to react when they learn about this, but we do need to let them know."

"Mr. and Mrs. Newton went with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson to Mr. Hartson's house for his birthday in Port Angeles. Jessica is there riding go-carts with her family. Angela is also there bowling with hers," Bella commented.

"All right," Charlie said.

Charlie reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone. He proceeded to search through his contacts.


	10. In the Hallway and Questioning

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter ten of "Into the Shadows." I didn't mean for it to take more than a week to get out. I had a bit of writer's block. On top of that, I can't believe I've gotten over fifty reviews. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. A special shoutout goes to Tasha Hill, Ghostwriter, brankel1, and Beachgirl25 for being continuous reviewers. Your support means the world to me. As for other readers, please don't hesitate to review, especially if you have favorited this fic. I'd love to hear what you thought of it and any ideas you might have for it. I could use a few more reviews. This chapter has a small bit of Edward/Bella. Stay tuned for chapter eleven.

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Chapter 10: In the Hallway/Questioning

The Cullens and the Quileutes stood outside Bella's room. Edward, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were gathered around the door while Jacob, Billy, Harry, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry were across from them. Edward leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He looked toward the door after opening them and let out a heavy sigh. Jacob furrowed his brow.

"Anxious to get back inside?" Jacob asked curiously.

"Very much so," Edward answered, looking toward the young man. "I can't stand to be more than two feet away from Bella. Then again, I can't be around her every second."

"No one can be that way with anyone. It's just not feasible," Jacob commented truthfully.

"Still, it'd be nice to be able to be around Bella every second. I wouldn't have to worry about her safety so much," Edward said.

"Since you can't be around her every second, just do your best to protect her. That's all you can do," Jacob said calmly.

Edward nodded at Jacob. Emmett slipped his hands inside his pockets and placed his foot against the wall.

"I wonder when the police are going to get here and start questioning us," Emmett said.

"I'm not looking forward to that at all," Seth muttered, cringing somewhat.

"None of us are, Seth, but it is necessary," Leah said, glancing down at her brother.

"How are the police supposed to investigate a crime without questioning people who have been involved with the suspect?" Quil wondered.

"They wouldn't get far if they didn't do any questioning," Embry said honestly.

"I can safely say all of us have solid alibis," Billy said.

"We might have solid alibis, Billy, but our assistance in the investigation is still vital," Jasper pointed out.

"You got that right, Jasper," Harry agreed.

Jasper cupped his chin in his hand. He placed the other one against the wall and tapped his fingers on it. He clicked his tongue four times. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind.

"Oh, my gosh," Jasper muttered.

"What is it, Jazz?" Alice asked, eyeing her husband.

"Mike's parents. How are they going to react to all of this?" Jasper wondered and looked at his wife.

"Oh, my. You're right, Jasper. We've been so focused on Bella that we didn't even consider them," Carlisle said with a heavy sigh.

"A number of things may happen. They may turn against Bella and blame her for the rape. They may deny Mike would be capable of hurting anyone," Esme mumbled in some fear.

"They may disown him and support Bella," Rosalie said and touched the top of her head. "I hope that happens."

"All of us do, Rosalie," Edward said.

"What about Jessica and Angela? They are friends with Mike. Jessica also dated him at one point," Emmett pointed out and held up his hand.

"One of the scenarios with Mike's parents could happen with them. Let's hope it's the one Rosalie described," Seth said.

The others nodded in agreement at Seth's comments. The sound of the door opening caught their attention. Charlie walked out and closed it behind him. He slipped his hands inside his pockets.

"What's going on, Chief Swan? Is Bella okay?" Edward asked in concern.

"Bella's fine, Edward. I tried contacting Mike's parents at the Hartson residence in Port Angeles to tell them what happened to her, but I couldn't reach them. They are there for their friend's birthday," Charlie said solemnly. "I couldn't reach Jessica or Angela either. Jessica is riding go-carts with her family. Angela is bowling with hers. Both of them are in Port Angeles."

"Oh, man. That sucks," Jacob grumbled.

"It looks like we don't have any choice but to try again later," Leah commented.

Charlie nodded at Leah. Approaching footfalls caught everyone's attention. The group saw thirty-five-year-old Bernard Focker coming toward it. Bernard smacked his lips. Being Asian, he was rather short for a man. He had short raven black hair and dark green eyes. He wore a dark blue suit, dark red tie, and raven black shoes. Forty-year-old Walter Fulton walked alongside him on his right.

Walter blew a bubble in his gum and popped it quietly. He was Caucasian and possessed a muscular frame. He was quite tall and had short dark brown hair. His eyes were light blue, and the right one had a small scar underneath it. He was dressed in a raven black suit, dark blue tie, and ebony black shoes. He and Bernard stopped before the group. They looked toward Charlie.

"Chief Swan, it's good to see you home," Walter said.

"It's good to see you and Bernard, Walter. I wish it didn't have to be under these circumstances," Charlie said, shaking the hand of each of his friends.

"So do we," Walter agreed.

"It's awful Bella had to suffer from something so horrific," Bernard added.

Bernard and Walter glanced at the Cullens and Quileutes. Charlie cleared his throat and removed other hand from his pocket.

"I'll introduce Bella's friends. The Cullens are Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. That's Billy Black and his son, Jacob. This is Harry Clearwater and his children, Seth and Leah. Those two are Embry Call and Quil Ateara," Charlie said, gesturing to each member of the group. "Everyone, this is Detective Bernard Focker and his partner, Detective Walter Fulton."

"It's nice to meet you all," Bernard said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Edward responded, stepping forward.

"Have you found any sign of Mike?" Emmett asked.

"Unfortunately, we haven't, Emmett. His truck is gone from his driveway. We've sent out a search party to find him. We have officers combing the wilderness area around Forks. We even have officers looking for him in La Push and the Quileute Reservation," Walter explained.

"I had a feeling he'd go on the run. He's a coward," Emmett growled in anger.

"Have you had any luck reaching Mike's parents?" Leah wondered.

"We tried, but we couldn't reach them," Bernard answered regretfully.

"I got the same result with them as well as Jessica and Angela," Charlie said, sighing to himself.

"It's quite possible they'll discover the missed calls on their phones and contact us," Bernard said.

"We need to put the coffee on. It's going to be a long night," Walter commented truthfully.

Everyone voiced his or her agreement with Walter's comments. Bernard put his hands on his sides, taking a slow yet deep breath.

"I know you are all friends with Bella, but we need to ask you some questions about what happened to her. Would you mind that?" Bernard asked.

"Not at all, sir. We'll do what we can to assist in the investigation," Jacob answered.

"The hallway isn't the best place for questioning. Do you think we could use an empty hospital room?" Bernard wondered.

"Of course," Carlisle said with a nod. "I know of an empty room down the hallway."

"Chief Swan, I'd like to speak with Bella and get her account of the rape. Would that be all right?" Walter asked.

"Sure, Walter," Charlie said.

"Detective Fulton, could I come in the room too? I have a feeling that Bella wants to see me. After all, I am her boyfriend," Edward said, looking a little anxious.

"Could I come as well? I feel she could also use my presence since she's my best friend," Alice added, clasping her hands together.

"That's fine with me," Walter said.

"If everyone else will follow me," Carlisle said, waving his hand.

Carlisle led Bernard, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Billy, Jacob, Harry, Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil down the hallway. Charlie opened the door and headed into Bella's room along with Edward, Alice, and Walter. Bella sighed in much relief.

"Dad, Edward, you're back," Bella said.

"Yes, we are, love," Edward responded, taking his girlfriend's hand into his.

"Alice, what made you come in here?" Bella wondered.

"I just wanted to see you. That's all," Alice answered, holding up her hands.

"Bella, this is Detective Walter Fulton. He and his partner, Detective Bernard Focker, have been searching for Mike," Charlie said, motioning toward Walter.

"Mike's gone on the run?" Bella asked, her voice showing some fear.

"Unfortunately. We're doing our best to find him," Walter answered, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth. "Now, I need you to give me details of what he did to you. Are you up for that?"

"I think so," Bella said while nodding.

"If you start getting upset, you can stop. I won't push you," Walter whispered gently. "I'm going to ask Edward and Alice some questions as well."

"Okay," Bella responded, sniffling softly.

Bella started talking about her and Mike's evening. Walter pulled his notepad and pen out of his pocket. He proceeded to write down what the young woman was saying.

00000

Walter continued to write on his notepad as Bella got to the part about her and Mike playing their fourth game of Go Fish four minutes later. Edward was seated next to her on the bed. Charlie and Alice stood on her left. Walter erased a mark on his notepad and replaced it with another. Bella stopped speaking and took a deep breath. She bit her lip, trembling somewhat. Walter ceased his writing to look at her.

"Do you want to stop talking?" Walter wondered.

"No, I don't," Bella answered while shaking her head.

"All right. Go on," Walter said in a gentle manner.

"I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Mike came up behind me and started touching me. He pulled my hair aside and kissed my neck. I got out of his grasp and reminded him I was dating Edward. I turned to leave. He came up behind me and grabbed my hair. He hit my head on the doorway and knocked me out. When I came to, he was looking down at me. He kissed me roughly. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong," Bella said with a small whimper.

Edward made shushing sounds and rubbed Bella's hand very lightly. Tears came to her eyes and fell from them.

"It's okay, Bella. You can do it," Edward whispered calmly.

"Mike hit me twice. He ripped off my clothes and removed his. He proceeded to rape me. It hurt so bad. I blacked out when he started raping me a second time," Bella said, swallowing hard.

"What happened when you came to?" Walter asked.

"When I came to, Mike said I had been out for nearly an hour. He bragged about raping me three times while I was out. He taunted me about how I was no longer a virgin and that Edward wouldn't want me anymore. I rushed out of his house and drove home as fast as I could. After I got inside my house, I collapsed on the kitchen floor. I remained there until Edward and Alice found me nearly an hour later," Bella finished.

Walter finished writing down what Bella had told him. He turned to the next page. Angry expressions formed on the faces of Charlie, Edward, and Alice. They appeared about ready to run out the door and hunt Mike down themselves. However, they knew Bella would rather they be here with her than anywhere else. The anger faded from their faces as Walter rubbed his chin. Walter shifted his attention toward Edward and Alice.

"Edward, Alice, where were you two when the rape occurred?" Walter asked.

"We, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were on our way home from our camping trip when the rape occurred. We weren't planning to return until Sunday afternoon, but we decided to come home tonight. We relaxed for a little bit after we got to the house. Alice and I decided to surprise Bella," Edward explained.

"We were enjoying the ride to her house until I started getting a bad feeling that something was wrong with her. Edward drove to her house very fast. We rushed inside and found her on the floor. She told us Mike had beaten and raped her," Alice said.

"Alice called 911 to report it. I called Charlie just minutes later," Edward added, running his other hand over his hair. "He became very alarmed when I told him what happened to Bella."

"After that, I called the rest of our family and informed them of the situation," Alice commented.

"Okay," Walter said, writing down everything Edward and Alice had told him.

Charlie, Edward, Alice, and Bella looked at each other. They turned back to Walter as he cleared his throat.

"Did any of you ever see any signs that Mike would do something like this?" Walter asked, gesturing with his pen.

"Mike did show some jealousy whenever he saw Edward and me together. He didn't like that we were dating," Bella explained.

"Really?" Walter commented, raising his eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm," Edward answered and nodded slowly. "I'd see it too. So would the rest of my family."

"Bella told me about Mike's jealousy," Charlie added. "He did seem to have a thing for her."

"Other than that, there weren't any signs he'd hurt her," Alice said, licking her lips. "Mike was always nice to Bella. He was very careful not to treat Edward badly in front of her."

"He wanted to remain in her favor," Edward said.

Walter wrote down what Edward, Alice, Charlie, and Bella had told him. He tapped the pen's tip on the paper three times.

"Walter, do you think Mike will be found soon?" Charlie asked.

"To be honest, Charlie, I really don't know," Walter admitted grimly. "I do hope so."

"You know, Emmett is right. Mike is a coward for going on the run," Edward growled angrily. "He doesn't want to face up to what he has done."

"Since he raped Bella, who's to say he won't do it again?" Alice wondered, becoming quite tense.

"That's true, Alice," Walter agreed. "Rapists don't change their spots. They are always on the prowl for victims. They may stop for a while, but they pick up where they left off."

"I'm going to have a few choice words for Mike after he is brought in," Charlie declared fiercely. "No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it."

"Bella is lucky to have you as her father, Charlie," Walter said and crossed his arms. "Some fathers become furious at their daughters for losing their virginity before they are married."

"Not me. I don't care if Bella is no longer a virgin. That's not important to me. Her health is," Charlie responded in determination.

"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate that," Bella whispered, a sob rising in her throat.

"Anything for you, Bells," Charlie commented.

Bella felt Charlie run his hand over her hair and stroke her cheek with the back of it. She glanced at Walter, who furrowed his brow.

"How do you think Detective Focker's questioning the others is going?" Bella wondered.

"I'm sure it's going well. Your friends looked like really nice people," Walter answered and returned his notepad and pen to his pocket.

Bella folded her hands and laid them in her lap. She proceeded to talk about Emmett and Rosalie's observation of the cougar hunting the deer. Walter and Charlie listened to her.


	11. A Little Quietness and Renee Freaks Out

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter eleven of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just six days to get out. I redid the beginning of Jacob and Leah's conversation where they are talking about various rape myths in chapter six. I fixed up the beginning Edward and Alice's conversation where he talks about wanting to be at Bella's side and her mentioning they couldn't protect her from everything. I changed Charlie's words to where he never thought he'd find himself in this situation as well as Billy's in which he says a father may believe his daughter is immune to rape in chapter nine. I redid the questioning of Edward, Alice, and Bella by Walter in which they mention Mike's jealousy of Edward and Bella's relationship and not liking them together but staying in her favor by not treating him badly in chapter ten. I added Phil/Renee to the pairings list as I had forgotten it. This chapter has Jacob/Leah and Phil/Renee in it. Stay tuned for chapter twelve.

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Chapter 11: A Little Quietness/Renee Freaks Out

Edward, Bella, Alice, and Walter listened to Charlie talk about a large fish he caught twenty-five minutes later. Charlie sat on the second bed. Walter stood next to him with his chin cupped in his hand. Edward and Alice stood on Bella's right. Charlie made motions with his hands as if he were holding a fishing pole.

"I pulled hard on the fish, but it pulled back just as hard. I felt like I was going to lose my pole a few times. It just wouldn't give up. I managed to finally reel it in," Charlie said, pulling his hands back.

"Fish can be really tricky," Walter said and held up a finger.

"I'll say," Edward agreed.

"Fish are tricky, but I will get two big filets out of that one," Charlie said, crossing his arms. "The filets from the other fish will be smaller, but I don't mind that."

"Good for you," Walter commented.

"At least you had a nice time on your fishing trip," Alice said and exhaled slowly. "I don't like fish or fishing. I never saw what the big deal was with either."

"Neither did I," Edward added.

"I admire you two for being honest with your feelings about fish and fishing. Many people claim they like something when they really don't," Charlie said, rolling his eyes.

"So true. Most people lie because they don't want to hurt someone's feelings," Alice commented honestly. "A person's feelings are hurt worse when they learn they were lied to."

"The truth can hurts sometimes, but honesty is the best policy," Bella said and folded her hands.

"Yes, it is," Charlie agreed. "If people were more honest with each other, the world would be a better place."

"You said it, Charlie," Walter responded.

Charlie winked at Walter and stroked his mustache three times. He got a curious look from his friend.

"Have you ever thought about shaving your mustache, Charlie?" Walter wondered.

"No, I haven't, Walter," Charlie answered, laying his hand on his leg. "I don't intend to."

"Oh, come on. You'd look great without one," Walter said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's not happening," Charlie said while shaking his head.

"I don't think you should shave it, Dad. It looks great on you," Bella said, gesturing toward her father.

"I agree," Edward said.

"So do I," Alice added.

"See? I have three people on my side," Charlie commented, a light chuckle leaving his mouth.

"You just got lucky," Walter replied with a scoff.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders and stood up to approach Bella. Edward and Alice stepped aside to allow him to go to her side. Just then, the door opened with a slight squeak. Jacob walked in, followed by Leah, Billy, Seth, Harry, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Embry, Quil, and Bernard. The first five went to Bella's left while the next five went to her right. The last three stood in front of her. Bella furrowed her brow as she looked at Bernard.

"How did the questioning go, Detective Focker?" Bella asked.

"It went very well. Your friends gave me a good amount of details about their whereabouts at the time you were raped," Bernard explained, pulling his notepad out of his pocket and patting it twice.

"We hope what we gave him will help in the investigation," Jacob said tenderly.

"What about you, Detective Fulton? How did your questioning of Bella, Edward, and Alice go?" Seth wondered.

"It went well, though Bella did get a little upset when she gave details of the rape," Walter replied.

"That's understandable. Who could keep themselves from getting upset over talking about something so traumatic?" Rosalie commented.

"Most people couldn't," Emmett said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Humans have always been one for freaking out when something bad happens to their loved ones."

"No kidding. I've read stories about mothers who became very hysterical when they learned their children had died. They were out of shape and couldn't be consoled at all," Carlisle said.

"A mother's love for her child is among the strongest in the world," Esme said calmly. "No matter what happens, it can never be extinguished."

"Oh, yes," Jasper agreed.

Bella unfolded her hands and bit her lip. Her body started to tremble somewhat. She looked down at her lap, closing her eyes.

"Speaking of mothers, mine will have to know about this sooner or later. When she does, she's going to—" Bella started, cringing quite a bit.

"I know, Bella," Charlie said and ran his hand over his daughter's hair as she opened her eyes to look up at him.

"I could see my mother freaking out if she learned I was raped," Leah said. "She wouldn't want me going anywhere without someone for a while. The same goes for Daddy."

"You're right about that, honey," Harry admitted.

"You have us, Leah," Embry said, motioning to Jacob, Seth, and Quil.

"You hang with us all the time. We'd make the perfect protectors," Quil said in a warm voice.

"If you want, we can teach you how to defend yourself in case you're attacked by some creep. We may not always be there to protect you," Jacob said.

"I'd love to learn self-defense from you, guys. It means a lot to me that you're willing to do that," Leah responded.

"Why shouldn't we? We're friends, right?" Jacob asked.

"Right," Leah said and nodded slowly.

Jacob put his arm around Leah to give her a big hug. He chuckled when she wrapped her arms around his waist. Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Charlie, Billy, Embry, Quil, Seth, Bernard, and Walter smiled at them. Rosalie didn't want to, but she managed to crack a smile. Seth noticed it and formed a surprised look on his face.

"Rosalie, it's nice to see you smiling," Seth said.

"Why shouldn't I, Seth? It's sweet that you and your buddies want to protect Leah," Rosalie responded swiftly.

"I have to say that you do have a nice smile," Seth said.

"Why, thank you," Rosalie replied, clasping her hands together. "Maybe I should do it more often."

"Please, do so," Seth commented. "I don't like seeing a frown on a face as pretty as yours."

"I will," Rosalie said with a nod.

Jacob and Leah released their hold on each other. Bella took slow yet even breaths. She swallowed hard before licking her lips.

"I hope Mr. Newton, Mrs. Newton, Jessica, and Angela see the missed calls and contact my dad and the detectives soon. I want to know how they react to the news of my rape," Bella whispered, letting out a small sniffle.

"All of us do, Bella. If they decide to turn on you, it's their loss," Bernard commented gently.

"Real friends stand by you. They don't their backs on you just because something horrible happened to you," Jacob said.

"That's right," Jasper added.

Bella nodded before unfolding her hands. Billy cupped his chin in his hand and tapped his thumb against his jaw. Suddenly, a thought entered his mind. He looked toward Charlie.

"Charlie, I believe it'd be best if you called Renee and told her about the rape now. It's getting late where she is. It's possible she'll be heading to bed soon. That is if she isn't already there," Billy said seriously.

"You're right, Billy. She always got grumpy when someone woke her up early in the morning. Bella's infancy doesn't count," Charlie said.

"Thanks for saying that, Dad," Bella whispered, breathing deeply.

"You're welcome," Charlie responded.

"If Renee freaks out, maybe Phil can calm her down," Harry suggested.

"I hope so," Charlie commented. "I'm grateful that he makes her happy."

"It's good that you and Renee get along well. Many former couples continue to be at each other's throats long after the divorce," Carlisle whispered.

"Well, that's their problem," Charlie said and huffed in a quiet manner. "Anyway, I'm going to call Renee right now."

Charlie reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He proceeded to search through his contacts.

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Clouds hung above the Dwyer residence in Jacksonville. Phil and Renee were immersed in a game of checkers while sitting on the couch in the living room. He had red while she had black. The box lay on the floor. Renee narrowed her eyes at the board. She decided to move a checker forward. Phil rubbed his chin, blinking twice. He pushed a checker to the square in front of Renee's. He watched her jump it and take it away. Renee laughed while holding it up.

"Take that, Phil!" Renee announced proudly.

"You shouldn't have said that," Phil smirked.

Phil put his hand on a checker on the board's right side. He double-jumped two of Renee's checkers to reach the end. He crossed his arms, chuckling in delight.

"King me," Phil said.

"You're such a wise guy, Phil," Renee said and put the checker on top of the other.

"Who cares? You made me happy," Phil responded

"I know something else that can make you happy," Renee said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"What's that?" Phil asked.

Renee grabbed Phil's cheeks to pull his face toward hers and press a kiss to his lips. She pulled away, hearing him laugh.

"That does make me happy," Phil said and smiled warmly.

"Good. Don't forget that I'm the best kisser," Renee said and moved her eyebrows up and down.

"I won't," Phil said and saluted his wife.

Renee blew a raspberry at her husband. She grabbed the box off the floor and laid it on the coffee table before opening it. Phil picked up the board and dumped the pieces in. He folded it to place it inside. Renee closed the box and tapped her finger on it twice.

"You're a damn good checker player," Renee said.

"Thank you. You are too," Phil responded.

"I remember when I went to see _The Rescuers Down Under_ with Bella at the theater," Renee commented, a giggle leaving her lips. "Jake acted very smug when he jumped one of Sparky's checkers and took it. Sparky jumped all his and reached the end of the board. Jake called him a wise fly as he kinged him."

"I saw that movie at the theater too. That was my favorite part. Jake's annoyance made me laugh really hard," Phil said in delight.

Phil and Renee shared a laugh. Renee removed her hand from the box and ran her tongue all over the inside of her mouth.

"I'm getting thirsty. I'm going to the kitchen to get something to drink. Do you want anything?" Renee asked as she got up.

"Nah. I'm good," Phil said and reached over to the end table to grab the remote.

"All right. I'll be back in a sec," Renee said.

"Just watch out for the refrigerator monster," Phil joked. "It just might jump out and eat you."

"It should eat you," Renee retorted playfully.

Phil laughed as Renee headed into the kitchen. He turned to the TV and switched it on. The TV played _Terminator 2: Judgment Day. _Phil shifted his attention toward the kitchen at the sound of the phone ringing. He saw Renee walk over to it and pick it up.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Charlie," Renee said and became alarmed when she heard Charlie speak. "What? Oh, my God."

Phil stood up very quickly. He heard Renee talk more and watched her walk away from the doorway. He approached it slowly, becoming tense as she started yelling. Among the sentences he caught were, 'I'm coming to get her and bring her to Jacksonville.', 'That's what she said last time. Look what has happened now!', and 'She's my daughter. She'll be safer with Phil and me.' He jumped in fright when Renee slammed the phone down. He came into the kitchen as she turned to him.

"Renee, what in the hell is going on?" Phil asked in alarm.

"Charlie just told me that Bella was raped by Mike while spending time with him at his house. Edward and Alice found her on the kitchen floor at hers," Renee replied angrily. "She's in the hospital."

"Oh, my God," Phil said, his face showing horror. "Is she all right?"

"She suffered a bump on the head, a swollen lip, and many bruises. Her vaginal area is torn up, but it will heal. She's going to stay overnight in case she experiences signs of a concussion," Renee explained. "Charlie also said Mike has gone on the run. The police are searching for him."

"So, you're going to just go over there and take her away from her father, her boyfriend, and friends?" Phil asked seriously.

"If that's what it takes to ensure her safety," Renee answered bluntly.

Phil sighed in frustration and walked into the living room. Renee came up behind him. She became very concerned.

"Phil, talk to me," Renee pleaded. "Please."

"You can't just go and take Bella away," Phil warned and turned around to face Renee. "She's enjoying her life in Forks. She loves Edward. You told me how he never left her side when you met him in that hospital in Phoenix. She'll be crushed if you make her leave him."

"It's too dangerous for her to be in Forks right now! That bastard is on the run. He may return for her!" Renee yelled in fear.

"What makes you think she'll be safer here? If Mike finds out she is in Jacksonville, he could hop on a plane and come over to get her!" Phil responded, hints of anger coming up in his voice.

"We've got guns! We can protect ourselves!" Renee blurted out.

"So can Charlie! He's got several, including a rifle!" Phil growled.

"I don't care! I'm going to Forks and get my daughter. She's coming to live with us!" Renee screeched fiercely.

"Bella is seventeen years old. She doesn't need you or me hovering over her," Phil retorted. "You're not thinking about what she wants."

"What she wants isn't important. Her safety is! I want her to be safe! She'll be safer with us!" Renee said.

"I can't believe you're being so selfish. Bella loves her life in Forks. She wants to be there, not here. She made an unselfish decision to move there, so we could be together!" Phil shouted, getting angrier.

"You can think I'm selfish all you want. I'm booking a flight to Port Angeles! I'm going to Forks to get her, and that's final!" Renee hissed.

Renee stomped toward the kitchen. Phil grabbed fistfuls of hair and kicked the floor frustratingly. He looked toward the window as he put his hands at his sides. He hoped Charlie could talk some sense into Renee when she called to tell him about what she was doing, but he feared the former wouldn't be able to.


	12. Impateince and Tense Phone Conversation

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twelve of "Into the Shadows." I am glad it took just a week to get out. This chapter has some Edward/Bella, Jasper/Alice, Emmett/Rosalie, and Carlisle/Esme. I'd like to thank everyone who has put this fic in their favorites and alert lists. It means a lot to me that you love it so much. Please don't hesitate to review. I'd love to hear what ideas you might have for it. Stay tuned for chapter thirteen.

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Chapter 12: Impatience/Tense Phone Conversation

The Cullens, the Quileutes, Bernard, Walter, and Bella watched Charlie pace back and forth in front of the second bed five minutes after Renee hung up. Everyone was still in the same place he or she was before. Charlie looked at his cellphone, sighing impatiently. Bella folded the sheet down before shifting her position on the bed somewhat.

"Dad, will you stop pacing? You'll wear a hole in the floor," Bella said.

"I can't help it, Bella. I just want to talk to Renee and try to get her to not come here," Charlie replied.

"All that pacing you're doing won't make her call back more quickly," Bella commented.

"Bella's right, Charlie. You need to be more patient," Billy said gently. "Renee will call back eventually."

"After all, any attempt to call her will probably get you nothing but a busy signal since she's likely on the phone booking a flight to Port Angeles," Harry pointed out.

Charlie stopped pacing to look at Harry. He knew his friend was right about what he said. Though he was still hoping he could talk Renee out of coming to Forks, he was willing to be more patient for Bella's sake. He came to his daughter's side, letting out a small sigh.

"I'm sorry for being like this. Bella predicted that Renee was going to freak out, but I didn't expect her to scream loud enough for all of you to hear her," Charlie muttered, grabbing his hair with both hands.

"It's not your fault. Everyone knows how mothers get when their children are hurt," Jacob said.

"What's ironic is that I often felt I was the parent and Mom the child. It's supposed to be the reverse," Bella said, rubbing her chin.

"That's true, Bella," Esme agreed.

"A motherly figure doesn't have to be much older than someone. She can be a little close to their age," Rosalie added.

"My mom and I aren't that far apart in age, Rosalie. Twenty-three years separates us," Bella replied, glancing toward the blond vampire.

"Back in the old days, it wasn't unusual to see parents as young as sixteen years old. Marrying during your teen years was common because many children died during childhood. Young parenthood was widely celebrated in most communities," Alice said.

"Nowadays, young parenthood is frowned upon. People are told they are selfish and irresponsible if they have their first children when they are young," Emmett whispered, tensing somewhat.

"They are told the same thing if they have their first children when they are older," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"You're damned if you do. You're damned if you don't," Seth commented, a scoff coming out of his mouth.

"Exactly," Carlisle said.

Bernard straightened his tie and jacket. He and Walter smacked their lips and ran their tongues along the insides of their mouths.

"I am aching for a cup of coffee," Bernard said.

"So am I," Walter added. "Who wants to join Bernard and me down in the cafeteria for some?"

"I'd love a cup of coffee," Jacob said, raising his hand.

"Me too. I am always ready for one," Billy commented.

"You can count me in on that," Harry added.

"The same goes for us," Leah, Quil, Embry, and Seth said.

"Okay," Bernard said and looked at the Cullens. "What about all of you?"

"No, thanks. I don't like coffee," Carlisle said, holding up his hands.

"Me neither," Esme said.

"I don't either. It tastes too bitter for me, even with sugar and cream," Rosalie grumbled, making a disgusted face.

"You got that right," Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Edward said.

"I don't want any coffee right now," Charlie said.

"All right. We'll be back in a little bit," Bernard said.

Bernard headed for the door and opened it. Jacob, Billy, Harry, Leah, Seth, Embry, Quil, and Walter went through it. He followed them, closing it behind him. Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie, and Bella looked at each other.

"I've never gotten the big deal with coffee. It doesn't make sense that it's so popular," Alice commented.

"Many people love coffee because it gives them energy after they get up in the morning, Alice. They want to be ready for the day," Charlie explained.

"Or night," Bella added.

"Some people like their coffee completely black. Others like it very sweet," Charlie said, stroking his mustache.

"For some people, just one cup of coffee makes perks them up. For others, it takes several," Bella said.

"Have you ever drank coffee, Bella?" Emmett wondered.

"I did several times when I was in Phoenix. I've been thinking about starting it up again," Bella whispered, biting her lip.

"You can get a big can of coffee at the food market real cheap, Bella," Charlie pointed out.

"Thanks for telling me that, Dad," Bella said, turning to her father.

Charlie nodded and looked at his cellphone. He returned his attention to Bella, who furrowed her brow.

"It looks like you'll have to continue to wait for Mom's callback," Bella said truthfully.

"Unfortunately," Charlie answered and sighed heavily. "I'll just have to grin and bear, won't I?"

"Yep," Bella said.

"Chief Swan, I have an idea. Why don't you have Bella talk to her mother when she calls? She might be able to talk her out of coming to get her," Edward suggested.

"You think so, Edward?" Charlie wondered.

"Yes, I do. Hearing Bella's voice should give her peace of mind," Edward answered calmly.

"It sure would. Listening to Bella's voice always does bring calm to Renee," Charlie said.

"Yeah. What do you say, Dad? Will you let me talk to Mom?" Bella asked.

"Of course, darling. She is your mother. I can't deny you the right to talk to her," Charlie said sweetly.

"Thank you. I do hope she'll listen to me," Bella whispered, gripping the sheet somewhat tightly.

"So do we, Bella," Rosalie said.

Bella gazed down at her hands. Emmett formed a fist and punched into his hand three times. He put his arms at his sides.

"While we're waiting, why don't I share a story about a mother wolf and her two pups I observed on our camping trip with you and your dad, Bella?" Emmett suggested.

"Okay," Bella said with a nod.

"That sounds good to me," Charlie commented.

Emmett smiled and proceeded to talk about the mother wolf and her pups. Charlie and Bella listened closely.

00000

Emmett continued to talk about the mother wolf and her pups four minutes later. He walked his hand in midair and imitated a pup jumping. Bella raised her eyebrows, as did Charlie with his. Edward slipped his hands into his pockets. So did Rosalie with hers. Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme folded theirs in front of them.

"The pup knocked its sibling over. They wrestled around and barked playfully. They ran to their mother and grabbed her ears. They pulled on them. She pushed each of them away with her paw. She turned over on her back and allowed them to jump on her," Emmett said.

"Wow. What did the mother wolf do then?" Bella asked.

"She pretended to bite her pups on their faces and swiped her paws at them. Both of them acted as if they were biting her neck much like they'd do with their prey. She got up and nuzzled each of them. She gave them licks to their noses. They headed off into the undergrowth," Emmett answered with pride.

"You were so lucky to see wolves, Emmett. They're not easy to find at all," Charlie said.

"No shit," Emmett agreed. "They aren't easy to approach either. If they hear you step on a stick, they'll run away from you as fast as they can. They are very fearful of humans."

"Everyone knows it's because hunters used to kill them in huge numbers," Rosalie said, her voice quieting to a whisper on the last word.

"They were considered a huge threat to livestock and humans," Jasper added. "They still are. No record of a healthy wolf killing and eating a human in North America exists. Wolves occasionally hunt livestock, but it's only when they're desperately hungry and can't find another food source."

"Wolves may look cute and cuddly, but they can be dangerous. You should never attempt to touch them," Alice said in seriousness.

"Not to worry, Alice. I always keep that in mind every time I go into the woods behind my house," Bella said quietly.

Alice nodded at her best friend. Bella fidgeted quite a bit while glancing up at the ceiling. She shifted her attention to the Cullens.

"I'm so grateful that you came home early. If you hadn't, I would've laid on that kitchen floor all night and most of tomorrow," Bella mumbled, sobs rising in her throat.

"It's okay, Bella. You don't have to worry about that any longer. You're in the hospital. Your friends and your father are here. That's all that matters," Esme said in a gentle manner.

"I have a feeling I will have these bruises that Mike inflicted on me for a while," Bella whispered, cringing somewhat.

"Even if you do have bruises, Bella, you're still beautiful to us," Edward said lovingly.

"You think so, Edward?" Bella asked and turned to her boyfriend.

"I know so," Edward said.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me," Bella whispered, a tear coming to her eye.

Edward bent down to kiss Bella on top of her head. He pressed his forehead against it, feeling her bring her hand upward to touch his neck. They stayed this way for a long moment before breaking apart. Emmett cupped his chin in his hand.

"One question. What if the Newtons manage to call before Renee does?" Emmett wondered.

"Then she will have to wait until they hang up, Emmett," Charlie answered.

"I am getting just as anxious about their reaction to Mike's raping me as I am about talking to Mom. The same goes for Jessica and Angela," Bella muttered, becoming tense.

"None of us can blame you," Esme said sympathetically.

"You can never be sure of how anyone will react to horrific crimes," Carlisle commented.

"Everyone always expects the worse. When it turns out to the opposite, there is immense relief," Emmett said.

"You said it, Emmett," Rosalie agreed.

Emmett put his arm around Rosalie to give her a hug. He sighed in content when she wrapped her arms around his waist. They tightened their embrace a little bit. Just then, Charlie's cellphone started ringing. He looked at it, furrowing his brow.

"It's Renee," Charlie said and looked at Bella. "You ready to talk to her, Bells?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Bella answered truthfully.

"All right," Charlie whispered. "Just try to be calm, all right?"

"I'll do my best," Bella said, taking a deep breath.

Charlie gave the cellphone to Bella. He watched her press SEND and place it to her ear. Carlisle put his arm around Esme to hold her close to him.

"Mom?" Bella said.

_"Bella, hi. I didn't expect you to be on your dad's phone. I was expecting him,"_ Renee answered.

"Edward thought you might like to hear my voice," Bella said, eyeing Edward closely.

_"It's good to hear it. How are you feeling?" _Renee asked.

"I'm okay," Bella replied, emitting a small painful wince. "I'm a little sore, though."

_"I see," _Renee whispered. _"I'm sure you don't like that you're staying overnight."_

"I'm not, but I'll manage," Bella said, taking slow yet even breaths. "At least the bed is comfortable."

_"The bed I was in when I had you was the most comfortable one I had ever been in. The mattress was so soft that I felt like I could fall into it,"_ Renee said warmly.

"Oh, really?" Bella said in curiosity.

_"Yeah. Of course, you can't really fall into a mattress. It's impossible,"_ Renee said and cleared her throat.

"No kidding," Bella agreed.

Bella heard Renee chuckle and shifted her position once more. She laid her arm in her lap and listened to papers shuffling in the background.

_"Bella, I want you to know that I've booked a flight to Port Angeles. I will be in Forks on Thursday to get you,"_ Renee said.

"Mom, I don't want you to come and take me back to Jacksonville with you. I want to stay in Forks. I want to be with my dad, my friends, and my boyfriend," Bella said, keeping her voice calm.

_"Bella, it's not safe in Forks right now. Mike is on the loose. Who knows how long it will be before he is caught? He could decide to come after you,"_ Renee said frantically. _"You'll be safer with Phil and me."_

"Who's to say he won't come after me if he finds out I am in Jacksonville? He can come after me, no matter where I go if he discovers my location," Bella responded. "Besides, I feel very safe with Dad and Edward. They'll protect me."

_"We'll protect you too. We have guns,"_ Renee said.

"So does Dad. You know he has a rifle that can shoot long-range," Bella yelled.

_"What good will that do if Mike manages to wrestle it away from your father? He could kill him, Edward, and you with it easily!"_ Renee shouted.

"He can do the same with your and Phil's guns too! It doesn't make any difference!" Bella said, starting to get angry.

_"I don't care. I'm coming to get you, whether you like it or not!"_ Renee retorted.

"I don't want to go to Jacksonville! I want to stay in Forks. This is my home! I love it here!" Bella cried.

_"What you want isn't important, Bella. Your safety is. You'll be safer with Phil and me!"_ Renee screeched.

Bella grabbed her hair in much frustration. She clenched her teeth and allowed three hisses to leave her mouth. Carlisle and Esme glanced at each other with worry. Emmett and Rosalie showed some tension. Jasper, Alice, Edward, and Charlie swallowed hard.

"I told you, Mom. I feel safe with Dad and Edward! They are just as capable of protecting me as you are!" Bella yelled. "I'm seventeen years old! I can take care of myself! You and Phil don't need to hover over me constantly!"

_"This is not about your ability to take care of yourself!" _Renee screamed, her voice showing more anger._ "This is about your safety! You need to come to Jacksonville to live with Phil and me!" _

"What about Phil? How does he feel about what you're doing?" Bella demanded fiercely.

_"He doesn't want me coming to get you, but it doesn't matter. I'm coming, whether he likes it or not,"_ Renee answered.

"You're being really selfish, Mom. You are willing to take me away from my father, my friends, and my boyfriend just so you can keep your eye on me. You'll put me in a school where I won't know anyone and expect me to finish out my final year there. I'll be miserable. Is that what you want?" Bella asked.

_"If that's what it takes to keep you safe," _Renee said.

"I'm telling you this right now," Bella said sternly. "I'm not leaving Forks. You may be my mother, but you can't force me to do anything against my will. Nothing you say will convince me to leave my life here behind. That's final!"

Bella hung up the cellphone. She handed it back to Charlie and started crying. Edward seated himself beside her on the bed. He placed his hand on her head and pushed it toward his shoulder. Bella buried her face into it, muffling her cries. Edward ran his hand over her hair.

"Shh. It's okay, Bella. It's okay," Edward whispered soothingly.

"I'm sorry I lost it," Bella sobbed. "I tried to remain calm, but Mom—"

"It's understandable, darling," Charlie said in comfort. "You can only take so much before you lose it."

"At least you tried to talk your mother out of coming to get you," Jasper said, his voice filled with much calm. "That counts for something."

"It sure does," Alice agreed.

"Thanks," Bella said, looking toward Jasper and Alice. "I appreciate that."

"Who will tell Jacob and the others about Renee's call?" Rosalie wondered.

"I'll go tell them," Emmett said, holding up his hand.

"I'll go with you. That is if it's okay," Jasper said.

"Sure, bro," Emmett said.

Emmett and Jasper were about to head out the door when Charlie's cellphone rang again. Charlie looked at it, placing his hand on the back of his neck.

"It's Mike's dad," Charlie said.

"Oh, Thank God," Bella whispered in relief as she and Edward looked at Charlie pressing SEND and putting the cellphone to his ear.

"Bruce, I'm glad you got back to me," Charlie said and listened to Bruce speak. "I know. There's something I have to tell you about your son."

Charlie proceeded to tell Bruce about what Mike did to Bella. The Cullens and Bella watched him very carefully.


	13. Strength, The Cafeteria, and Just Angry

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirteen of "Into the Shadows." I didn't mean for it to take more than a week to get out. I had a case of writer's block. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. It means so much to me that you like my fic. Your support helps me to keep going. Stay tuned for chapter fourteen.

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Chapter 13: Strength/The Cafeteria/Just Angry

Bella and the Cullens watched Charlie pace back and forth in front of the second bed while talking with Jessica sixteen minutes later. Edward was still seated beside her. Emmett and Rosalie sat in the chairs. Carlisle and Esme stood in front of the bed. Jasper and Alice leaned their backs against the wall on Rosalie's left. Charlie ceased his pacing as he hung up his cellphone. He looked at Bella, who had a nervous expression on her face.

"Jessica sends her condolences to you, Bella. She cursed Mike for what he did to you and declared she wanted nothing to do with him. She and her parents are coming to see you," Charlie said quietly.

"Oh, thank God," Bella whispered in relief and sniffled quietly. "I'm so glad that the Newtons, the Webers, and the Stanleys didn't turn on me."

"Then again, we didn't expect Bruce to yell so loud that we could hear him," Carlisle said, putting his hands on his sides. "He sounded just like Renee."

"Though Angela and Jessica kept their voices low, I could still hear the anger in them. I honestly believe they didn't want to start yelling and end up scaring Bella," Charlie commented.

"Nevertheless, Angela and Jessica are such good friends to stand by Bella," Alice said, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. "Many girls find themselves betrayed by the people they thought they were their friends simply because they were raped. Those people believe the girls were to blame."

"That's ridiculous," Esme growled in anger. "Rape is never the victim's fault, no matter what the circumstances."

"People say that nice men never rape women, but that's bullshit," Rosalie said and crossed her left ankle over her right. "Men will rape women, no matter how kind they've been to them. This is especially true when they are determined to have their way with them."

"Mike was very determined to get what he wanted from me. He wasn't going to let my rejection stop him. That's why he was so rough with me," Bella mumbled, a tear falling down her cheek.

Edward reached up to wipe another tear away from Bella's cheek as it came down. He touched the top of her head and stroked her forehead with his thumb. Bella emitted a quiet sob as Charlie came to her side.

"I tried so hard to fight Mike, but he was just too strong," Bella whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"It's okay, Bella. It's okay," Edward responded comfortingly.

"You did the best you could. That's all that matters," Charlie assured.

"I have to admit that I feel fortunate to have passed out when Mike started raping me for the second time. I wouldn't have been able to look into his eyes for another second, though I'm sure he would've forced me to," Bella said, opening her eyes as Edward removed his hand from her head.

"Some people think rape is about sex, but it's not. It's about exerting power and control over someone," Alice said.

"Whoever has the control has the power," Emmett said seriously.

"Some people will do whatever it takes to maintain control and power over others, including committing murder," Rosalie growled, hissing in disgust.

"Yep," Jasper agreed.

Edward removed his hand from Bella's head and moved it to hers. Bella took slow yet even breaths. She slipped a lock of her behind her ear. She looked around the room.

"I never thought I'd find myself in a hospital just three months after the fiasco in Phoenix. It feels like I attract danger everywhere I go," Bella mumbled, sighing heavily.

"It can feel that way, Bells, but know this. You're not the cause of the danger. You never were," Charlie assured, a small smile crossing his lips.

"At least you're not going out and doing something crazy like jumping over cars on a motorcycle," Jasper said.

"Or going cliff-diving," Alice added.

"Or bungee-jumping," Esme commented.

"You'll never find me doing any of those things. I'd be too scared to even try," Bella said truthfully.

"That's good, Bells," Charlie said, his voice filled with relief. "Besides, I wouldn't let you do that stuff unless you went through intense training."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. Emmett looked toward the door for a long moment before standing up.

"I guess Jasper and I should go tell the others about the callbacks," Emmett commented.

"We shouldn't be gone too long," Jasper added.

"Okay, guys," Bella said while nodding. "We'll see you later."

Emmett headed to the door, followed by Jasper. He opened it and allowed his brother to go first. He went after him and closed it behind him. Edward, Bella, Charlie, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Alice looked at each other.

"I honestly believe they were ready to go tell the others," Esme said.

"They sure were. It was nice of those guys to volunteer to tell them about Renee's callback before the other three came," Charlie said.

"Yes, it was," Bella agreed and smacked her lips. "Man, I'm feeling a bit thirsty."

"Do you want me to get you a coke, Bella?" Charlie wondered.

"Yes, I do, but I want a diet coke," Bella replied.

"Okay. I'll get you one from the coke machine in the cafeteria," Charlie said, winking at his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said.

Charlie kissed Bella on top of her head and walked to the door. He opened it and went out, closing it behind him. Edward, Bella, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Rosalie heard him call after Emmett and Jasper. They shrugged their shoulders and began another conversation.

00000

Two men walked into the cafeteria. They headed toward a long table that had two coffeemakers and a stack of styrofoam cups sitting upside down. They got cups and proceeded to fix themselves coffee. They looked toward the empty food line, which stretched across the room. A woman came in with a magazine in her hand and went to one of eighteen tables scattered throughout the room. She opened it and started reading.

Walter, Bernard, and the Quileutes sat at two tables located in front of the coke and vending machines. Walter, Jacob, Billy, Embry, and Quil were at one while Bernard, Harry, Seth, and Leah were at the other. All nine of them had coffee-filled cups. Quil looked around the room. He returned his attention to the others and sipped his coffee.

"This is a nice-sized cafeteria," Quil commented.

"It sure is, Quil. It's neatly organized too," Jacob said and put his hands on his cup to tap his fingers against it.

"I recall my high school cafeteria having three dozen round tables. They had anywhere from six to eight chairs at each one. It had a food line that stretched across the room," Walter said.

"My high school cafeteria had ten long tables and four short tables. The long ones had twenty chairs on each side. The short ones had eight on each side. The cafeteria had two lines on either side," Bernard said, running his tongue over his teeth.

"Cool," Embry said, chuckling lightly.

Walter propped his head up with his elbow. Seth swirled his coffee around before sipping a little bit of it.

"Did either of you get into fights with your friends over who would sit where?" Seth wondered.

"I did a few times," Walter responded, taking a sip of his coffee. "They didn't turn into fistfights, though."

"I got into a few fights as well. None of them turned into fistfights either," Bernard added.

"I find it silly to fight with someone over a seat. People look like fools when they start fights over insignificant things," Leah said bluntly.

"People sue each other over everything these days," Billy muttered and scoffed in annoyance. "In 1991, a man named Richard Overton sued Anheuser-Busch because their advertisements featuring men scoring with beautiful women don't illustrate the reality that consuming beer will not get you laid. He claimed the advertisements caused him emotional and physical distress along with financial losses of ten thousand dollars."

"That's so stupid!" Seth blurted out. "That guy has only himself to blame for his problems. He probably tried hitting on women while he was drunk."

"I bet they smacked him when he did that," Leah said, snickering to herself.

"If any of those women were already in relationships, I hope their boyfriends or husbands gave that guy good punches to the face for hitting on them," Billy commented.

"The main reason why people file frivolous lawsuits is money. They want to live the high life without ever having to work for it," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"You said it, Daddy," Leah agreed.

Harry nodded at his daughter before sipping his coffee. He laid his hand on the table and tapped his finger on it.

"Not once did any of us think we'd ever find ourselves assisting the police in a rape investigation. It feels so unreal," Harry said honestly.

"It's understandable, Harry," Walter responded with a heavy sigh. "It's a dirty job investigating crimes, but someone has to do it. The culprits have to be brought to justice."

"It's unbelievable that criminals have more rights than victims do," Leah muttered angrily. "If they have lots of money, they are able to hire attorneys who can get them off for their crimes. They act like they're above the law."

"Talk about arrogance," Jacob said, letting out a loud scoff.

"Arrogance is a part of human nature. It eventually gets the better of us. This holds true for rich criminals," Bernard commented. "Sooner or later, their 'fun' stops in some way."

"I have no doubt Mike is arrogant enough to think that he can get away with raping Bella by going on the run," Jacob replied, becoming very tense.

"No matter how long it takes, we'll find him and bring him to justice," Walter declared.

"That's a fact," Bernard added.

The others nodded in agreement at Bernard and Walter's comments. Just then, Emmett, Jasper, and Charlie came into the cafeteria. They approached the group.

"What's going on, guys?" Quil asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We came to tell you that Renee called back. Bella talked to her after Edward suggested that allowing her to hear her voice might bring her peace of mind. It did until Bella learned that Renee was coming to get her next Thursday. They got into an argument over that. We heard Renee yelling over the phone," Emmett explained.

"Oh, my," Quil mumbled, wincing to himself.

"There's more. Bruce, Angela, and Jessica finally made contact with Charlie. They denounced Mike's crime and sent their condolences to Bella. The Newtons, the Webers, and the Stanleys are on their way to the hospital," Jasper added.

"Oh, thanks goodness," Leah whispered in much relief.

"Yeah," Charlie said, scratching the top of his head. "Unfortunately, we had to listen to Bruce yell over the phone. He was so angry over what his son did to my daughter. Angela and Jessica kept their voices low, but I could still hear the anger in them."

"It's good to know that Bella has more people on her side," Billy commented.

"Speaking of Bella, I need to get a diet coke for her. She's thirsty," Charlie said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the coke machine.

The group watched Charlie walk to the coke machine. Charlie reached into his pocket, getting out three quarters. He inserted them into the machine and pressed the button for diet coke. The diet coke came into the hole, allowing him to take it. He returned to the others.

"I'm going take this back to Bella before she starts wondering where I am," Charlie said, holding up the diet coke.

"Jasper and I will join you in a minute. We want to talk to these guys," Emmett said, motioning toward the Quileutes and the detectives.

"That's fine, Emmett," Charlie answered.

Charlie went out of the cafeteria. Emmett started speaking to Walter, Bernard, Jacob, Billy, Harry, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry.

00000

A deer walked alongside a forest road. It stopped at a patch of grass and began feeding. It looked up at approaching headlights. It swiveled its ears and tail. Bruce glanced at it as he passed it in his dark green truck on his left. He returned his attention to the road. He moved his hands down the steering wheel. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

Fifty-five-year-old Karen slid her hand along the door handle before laying it in her lap. She was petite with a somewhat muscular frame. Her hair was dark red and very curly. Her eyes were light blue. Her left cheek had a small scar on it. Her face had few wrinkles. She wore a dark green t-shirt, dark blue jeans, white socks, and ebony black sneakers. She put her hand over her face and emitted a heavy sigh, causing Bruce to peer at her in the corner of his eye.

"Poor Bella. I never thought she'd be the victim of a brutal rape," Karen said, biting her lip. "What makes it worse was that it was at Mike's hands."

"We gave that boy so many lectures about respecting women. He swore to us he'd always honor them," Bruce whispered through clenched teeth. "He betrayed us and Bella!"

Bruce slammed his hand on the wheel in frustration and let out a very angry yell. Karen looked at her husband with much sympathy. She was filled with just as much anger as he was over what Mike did to Bella. They hoped he would be arrested soon because they wanted to confront him.

"Thank God that Edward and Alice found Bella. If the Cullens hadn't come home early, she wouldn't have been found until—" Karen started, her body trembling.

"I know," Bruce said, licking his lips. "I knew Mike was jealous of Edward and Bella's relationship, but I never thought he'd ever hurt her. He was always nice to her. He even called her a great friend."

"You'd think his resuming his relationship with Jessica would've helped him get over his thing for Bella. Unfortunately, it didn't. Mike broke up with Jessica yet again," Karen muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He thought he'd get his opportunity with Bella while Edward and his family were out of town," Bruce replied in a quiet manner. "Her rejection made him angry. As a result, he raped her."

"I will tell you this right now, honey. Mike ceased to be our son the second he chose to rape Bella. I don't want anything to do with him ever again," Karen declared.

"Neither do I. Bella is our best employee. She's been like a daughter to us. We could never turn our backs on her. I will do whatever I can to assist in the investigation," Bruce said determinedly.

"So will I," Karen said.

Bruce reached over to touch his wife's shoulder. He saw her look at him and put hers over it. He felt her take it away and returned his to the wheel.

"I have a feeling that Bella will take a bit of time off from work to deal with what happened to her," Bruce said in seriousness.

"How long do you think that will last?" Karen wondered.

"I don't know, but I do know one thing. We won't pressure her into coming back to work. She will come back when she is ready," Bruce whispered.

"I won't be surprised if we hear people talk about her while they're shopping in our store," Karen said, turning a bit tense.

"That's the biggest downside of living in a small town such as Forks," Bruce commented, scoffing irritatingly. "Rumors spread much more quickly."

"Some people spread rumors just to ruin the reputations of people they don't like," Karen grumbled and made a gagging sound while sticking her finger into her mouth.

"It's sickening people can be that cruel," Bruce growled fiercely. "They put others down to make themselves feel good."

Karen nodded in agreement at Bruce's comments. She shifted her position in her seat a bit. Bruce slid his hands to the bottom of the wheel.

"I know one person who has been guilty of spreading rumors. It's Lauren Mallory," Karen said.

"That girl has an even bigger mouth than Jessica does. She loves talking about herself. She thinks she is the prettiest girl in town," Bruce mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, give me a break. Everyone knows Rosalie is the prettiest girl in Forks. Lauren doesn't even come close to her," Karen said in a blunt manner.

"When people say that to Lauren, she goes off on them. She can't stand to be told she is wrong," Bruce said, swallowing hard. "She really does see herself as superior to the other girls."

"She couldn't believe Bella was able to attract Edward. She says Bella is too plain for boys to pay attention to her," Karen said.

"Not a chance," Bruce said with a shake of his head. "Bella is far prettier than Lauren can ever hope to be. It's due to her wonderful personality. Jessica told me that Rosalie commented on it once, despite the latter isn't too fond of Bella."

"There's one thing Rosalie has that Lauren doesn't have. It's a boyfriend by the name of Emmett," Karen pointed out.

"That's right," Bruce agreed. "Emmett wouldn't touch Lauren with a one hundred-foot pole."

"Nor would any of the other boys," Bruce commented.

"Yep," Karen said and nodded slowly.

Bruce moved his hands to the top of the wheel. He looked toward the sky for a long moment before focusing his attention back on the road.

"I will tell you one thing, Bruce. I will do whatever I can to help Bella to heal from this," Karen declared.

"So will I, Karen. So will I," Bruce responded in determination.

Karen leaned over to give Bruce a kiss on the cheek. She received a hug from him. She settled back into her seat and focused her attention on the road. The truck passed a rabbit chewing on grass blades on its right.


	14. The Newtons Are Here

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter fourteen of "Into the Shadows." I'm glad it took just four days to get out. There is a little bit of Edward/Bella in this one. Stay tuned for chapter fifteen.

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Chapter 14: The Newtons Are Here

Bella sipped her coke in her hospital room more than forty-five minutes later. She placed it on the table that was to the left of her. Charlie and Edward stood to the left of her. Bernard and Walter were on her right. They watched her clasp her hands together and twirl her thumbs around. The other Cullens and the Quileutes had decided to head home twenty minutes ago.

"Getting anxious to see the Newtons, the Stanleys, and the Webers, aren't you, Bells?" Charlie asked.

"You bet I am, Dad," Bella answered honestly. "I wish Port Angeles wasn't more than an hour away from here."

"So does everyone in Forks, but it's the closest place to do activities such as seeing movies and riding go-carts," Walter said.

"At least it's got very nice restaurants to dine out at when I don't want to eat at the Carver Café," Bella whispered.

"Mm-hmm," Walter agreed.

Bella got her coke and took another sip. She smacked her lips before getting some more. Bernard rubbed his hands together.

"My mom told me she was nervous that my dad wouldn't make it to the hospital in time to see my birth. He was a high school teacher and taught driver's ed in the summer. They were living in Boston at the time. Dad was giving a student his driving test when Mom went into labor," Bernard commented. "Luckily, my grandmother lived nearby and took her to the hospital. She coached her until he got there."

"Wow," Bella whispered in awe.

"Yeah. My father told me he sped to the hospital in the driver's ed car and scared his student out of his mind. He even ran a stop sign," Bernard replied, a light laugh coming out of his mouth.

"It's ironic. The driving teacher committed traffic violations after teaching his students not to," Edward said.

"Yep," Bernard said and crossed his arms. "I'm just glad he didn't get into an accident. Then he might have missed my birth because the doctors and nurses would've been treating his injuries if he had any."

"Hmm," Edward whispered.

"I've never understood childbirth. Some women have very long labors while others have short ones. Some experience great pain while others have little to none at all," Bernard said.

"Some couples accept they can't have children after trying for years. Then they find out they are expecting a baby like mine did when they were in their middle forties," Charlie said, chuckling quietly.

"Nature works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?" Walter asked.

"It sure does," Charlie agreed.

Bella drank the rest of her coke and crushed the can in her hand. Charlie picked up the trashcan to allow her to put it in.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said.

"You're welcome," Charlie replied and put the trashcan. "Do you want to me get you anything else?"

"No, I'm good," Bella whispered and put her hands behind her head. "Besides, everyone knows it's not good to drink too much of anything because you'll end up running to the bathroom every ten minutes."

"It won't be very easy for you to go to the bathroom since you're attached to that machine," Charlie pointed out and motioned toward the heart monitor.

"I'll manage, Dad," Bella said, biting her lip.

Charlie stroked his mustache. Bella glanced at the heart monitor for a long moment before turning back to him.

"You know, you're lucky. You've never had to be attached to this thing," Bella said, running her hand over the area where the IV needle was inserted.

"Neither has Phil," Charlie added.

"That's true. Of course, that could change since he is a baseball player," Bella said. "Everyone knows baseball can be dangerous, especially when a pitch is coming at you at ninety miles an hour."

"Getting hit by a baseball going that fast would leave a huge bruise," Bernard commented, wincing loudly.

"Or a black eye if it hit you there," Walter said.

"I recall reading a story about a ballplayer who got hit in between the eyes by a baseball. He went blind as a result," Edward said, touching the area between his eyes.

"Oh, my God," Bella muttered and cringed badly.

"Mm-hmm," Edward replied while nodding. "He had to relearn everything, including reading and writing. He was able to overcome his blindness eventually."

"That's great," Walter said, a small smile crossing his lips.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. Bella held out her hand, allowing him to take it into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go of it.

"At least the heads of ballplayers are protected by the helmets they wear. Imagine what kind of damage their brains could suffer if they didn't wear them and got hit by baseballs," Bernard said.

"It's likely it'd be really bad," Bella said, swallowing hard.

"They'd probably be reduced to a vegetative state," Walter muttered.

"Their loved ones would be pondering with whether or not to keep them alive," Charlie said in seriousness.

"That's something no one should have to face in their lifetime," Bernard said and straightened his jacket.

Charlie, Edward, Bella, and Walter nodded in agreement at Bernard's comments. Bella proceeded to talk about the time she did a painting of a bear for Renee's thirty-fifth birthday.

00000

A raccoon poked its head out from behind a bush located to the entrance's left. It walked across the parking lot, followed by another one. They reached a grassy area and stopped next to a trashcan. They sniffed at it curiously. The first raccoon tried to climb on it, but it slipped and fell down. The second raccoon attempted it, only to fail. Both of them made two more attempts before deciding to head for the road. They stopped in front of another bush.

The raccoons were about to cross the road when they saw approaching headlights. They dove behind the bush as Bruce entered the parking lot. They came out and darted across the road to the other side. Bruce headed toward the entrance and pulled into a space a short distance away from it. He turned off the engine and looked at Karen.

"Are you ready to go see Bella?" Bruce asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Karen said, glancing up at the top floor along with her husband. "I never noticed how big this hospital is."

"Me neither. I bet some raptors have used the roof to swoop down on prey," Bruce said, making a motion with his finger.

"It does give them a good vantage point," Karen commented.

"Skyscrapers are the perfect places for raptors to scout for prey," Bruce said and leaned back.

"Yeah. The skyscrapers are so tall that birds don't see the raptors swoop down on them until it's too late," Karen said.

"Believe me. You don't want to a bird caught in a raptor's sights," Bruce answered truthfully.

Bruce and Karen exited the truck and went through the entrance. They made their way down the hallway. They looked at each other.

"I'll talk to the receptionist, all right?" Bruce asked.

"Okay," Karen responded with a nod.

Bruce approached the receptionist's desk while Karen stopped a short distance away. He talked with him about Bella's room number and got a response. He nodded at him and returned to Karen.

"Come on. We have to go to the elevator," Bruce said.

"Oh, man. I was hoping Bella's room would be on the first floor," Karen complained.

"So did I, but it's not," Bruce commented.

"I'll just have to grin and bear it. I guess," Karen muttered.

"Yep," Bruce said.

Bruce and Karen walked down the hallway. They turned left at the end and went into another. They approached the second elevator. Bruce pressed the up button. He and Karen saw the three light up.

"I remember the last time I was admitted to the hospital," Karen whispered, sighing to herself. "It was when I broke my left leg and right arm after that drunk driver hit me during the trip home from seeing a movie with friends in Downtown Sacramento thirty years ago."

"You were very lucky to survive that crash with just broken bones. Your car looked like it had gone through a compactor," Bruce mumbled.

"I know," Karen said, looking angry. "I loved that car. My father gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. The guy was arrogant enough to think he'd get off for nearly killing me. He was shocked to hear he was guilty of vehicular assault and was sentenced to three years in prison. He also had his license permanently suspended."

"He deserved it. He knew he was drunk. He just didn't care," Bruce replied.

"I wondered what happened to him," Karen said and cupped her chin in her hand.

"He probably continued drinking. He could be a homeless drunk living in an alley somewhere," Bruce suggested.

"Or he could be dead," Karen pointed out.

"Yeah," Bruce whispered.

Bruce and Karen saw the two light up, followed by the one. The second elevator doors opened with a loud ding. The couple went inside. Karen pressed three as the doors closed. The elevator began to the third floor.

"If there's one thing I hate about elevators, it's when they go down after you pressed the up button," Karen grumbled irritatingly.

"Someone on the floor below pressed the up button before you did. That's not something you can control," Bruce answered gently.

"Yes, but I wish it wouldn't happen, especially when I want to get to my designated floor quickly," Karen said.

"I understand, darling," Bruce whispered sympathetically.

Karen touched her husband's hand to give it a light pat. Bruce brought the other one to her shoulder and squeezed it gently. They looked upward at the ceiling after putting their arms at their sides.

00000

Edward, Charlie, Bernard, and Walter waited for Bella to finish using the bathroom. Walter clicked his tongue four times. Flushing came, followed by the sound of rolling wheels. The door opened with a slight squeak. Bella walked out with the heart monitor. She made her way to her bed and positioned it in its original spot. She climbed into bed and pulled the sheet over her legs.

"You feel better, Bella?" Edward asked.

"Much better, Edward," Bella responded, sighing in relief. "It can be hard to tell when you need to use the bathroom sometimes."

"It sure can," Walter agreed. "I don't blame toddlers for wetting their pants. They're just learning to control their bladders."

"Some kids don't stop wetting the bed until they are seven or eight years old," Bernard added.

"It can be really embarrassing for them. They fear being teased by siblings and punished by their parents," Charlie said, exhaling sharply.

"I find it ridiculous that parents would punish their kids over something they can't control," Edward scoffed.

"So do I, Edward, but we can't make them stop," Charlie said regrettably. "They have to do it on their own."

Edward sighed to himself. Charlie stared at the heart monitor for a long moment before turning back to Bella.

"You did well taking that thing to the bathroom, Bells," Charlie commented with a small chuckle.

"It was rather easy since I could walk," Bella said. "I couldn't do that when I was in that hospital in Phoenix due to my broken leg. I had to have help."

"That hospital had some fine doctors and nurses," Charlie said.

"So does this one," Bella replied and shifted her position a little bit.

Approaching footfalls caught the group's attention. Everyone saw Bruce and Karen come into view through the window. Bruce opened the door and walked in, followed by Karen. Bella let out a relieved sigh.

"Mr. Newton, Mrs. Newton, you're finally here!" Bella cried.

"Hey, Bella," Bruce said as he and Karen approached the bed. "You don't look the worse for the wear."

"Thanks," Bella responded. "How was Mr. Hartson's birthday party?"

"It went very well. He loved all the presents he got. A few people did get a bit drunk, though," Karen explained.

"Oh, really?" Bella asked, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, but they're staying at his house tonight. They knew they were too drunk to drive," Bruce said.

"Good for them," Bella whispered, sighing quietly.

Bruce and Karen looked at each other with a shrug of their shoulders. They shifted their attention to Bella, who ran her tongue over her teeth.

"I'm sure you're both tired," Bella commented, blinking twice.

"We are, but that's not important. You are," Karen said.

"Thanks," Bella said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "You don't know how much I appreciate your support. I feared you'd—"

"Well, you thought wrong," Karen said in a gentle manner. "Just because someone is family doesn't mean their bad behavior should be excused."

"I feel like breaking Mike's neck for what he did to you," Bruce growled in determination.

"Bruce, don't talk like that in front of Bella," Karen scolded.

"Why not, Karen? He deserves it!" Bruce responded fiercely.

"Maybe he does, but Bella may not think like that," Karen pointed out seriously. "Besides, the thought of vengeance makes me sick to my stomach."

"I'm sorry," Bruce apologized. "I just want that bastard to pay for what he did to her."

"You're not the only one," Karen said, touching her husband's shoulder.

Bruce slid his hand over his wife's. He took slow yet even breaths to calm himself down. He and Karen placed their arms at their sides.

"There are a few more things you need to know about," Charlie said.

"If you're wondering about the Cullens and Quileutes, they went home," Charlie said and snorted loudly.

"I see," Bruce replied. "Thanks for letting us know about all this."

"No problem," Charlie said and nodded at his friend.

Bruce patted Charlie's shoulder before giving it a squeeze. Walter and Bernard cleared their throats, getting their attention and that of Edward, Bella, and Karen.

"Bruce, Karen, would you mind coming with Walter and me?" Bernard asked, waving his hand toward himself.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions," Walter added, clasping his hands together.

"Of course," Bruce answered.

Bernard headed for the door and opened it, allowing Walter, Bruce, and Karen to go through. He went after them, closing it behind them. Edward, Bella, and Charlie listened to their departing footfalls.

"Those two detectives have their work cut out for them," Edward said, sitting next to Bella.

"Bernard and Walter have always been hard-working, Edward. They don't give up until a case is solved, even if it takes years," Charlie said.

"Some detectives couldn't care less about the cases they're working on. They just want the praise that comes with solving them," Bella muttered with a heavy sigh.

"So do many other people when it comes to other tasks," Edward added, rolling his eyes. "They get mad when they're criticized, even if it's justified."

"They need to pull up their big people pants and just deal with the criticism," Charlie said, emitting an irritated scoff. "It can teach them something."

"Unfortunately, some people never learn," Bella said.

"Yep," Charlie answered. "I hate to cut this talk short, but I need to go the bathroom."

Edward and Bella watched Charlie go into the bathroom. They looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders. They started another conversation.


End file.
